On Friday, kids were joyfully screaming as they pushed each other around on a purple playground spinner. Smiles beamed across their faces after popping out of an orange slide and laughs could be heard as their parents pushed them on a swing.
After the city closed it in 2020 to begin renovations, Albert “Ray” Massey Westside Park reopened to the public. Families flocked to the park to swing on swings, slide down slides and climb on the colorful playground equipment.
April Cullinan has taken her family to the park for over 20 years. She said the playground equipment used to be red, white and blue, but now there’s an array of colors. Orange slides, purple swings and blue turf are just a few additions to the newly renovated playground.
Cullinan said she liked that the park is more inclusive and there is more to do.
“This has a lot to do,” Cullinan said. “Everything else was small. They have the ramps and they have a couple of slides that kids in wheelchairs can go on.”
Inclusivity was one of the main areas the new playground focused on. Betsy Waite, the director of Gainesville’s Wild Spaces and Public Places, told WUFT that there was a reason for the diverse colors.
“We heard from a group of parents with children with disabilities that some children could benefit from having different colors to help guide them through the playground,” she said.
There were also “coves and mounds” to help children take a break if they needed one.
“We knew that children who have autism or different abilities might need a quiet space,” she said. “So we have these coves, we have these mounds, some of which you can crawl through. So if the child’s feeling a bit overwhelmed, they can take a break.”
Located at 1001 NW 34th St., the 26.3-acre park consists of basketball courts, three baseball and softball fields, pickleball and racquetball courts, the playground and 1.5 miles of shaded walking paths.
“I wish I was a kid again,” Cullinan said.
Additionally, according to an informational board just outside the playground area, $5.5 million was put into “extensive” improvements between 2020-23. These included a full renovation of the baseball fields, aquatics center, an added restroom and parking area.
The construction cost of the playground alone was $2,024,824.37 according to a press release from Gainesville Wild Spaces and Public Places. Scherer Construction of North Florida carried out the project.
A full fence was also added around the playground, making it safer for children to play within the area. Michael Creech has a son and said he would have to closely watch to make sure his son would not wander close to the busy Northwest Eighth Avenue, which borders the southern edge of the playground.
The playground also includes lights, and it's the only playground in the city that’s now lit, according to Waite.
It is space-themed and it was inspired by the Northwest Eighth Avenue public art installation located across the street from the park.
“I think we’re building a community through this park,” Waite said. “This is a public space where truly everyone and anyone can come together and play with one another. It’s so important that it does not matter what your ability is.”