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Opening timeframe eyed for $20M Park Circle revamp in North Charleston

Contributing Writer //June 5, 2023//

Opening timeframe eyed for $20M Park Circle revamp in North Charleston

Contributing Writer //June 5, 2023//

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Officials say the new inclusive playground at Park Circle could be one of the largest of its kind in the country. (Rendering/Provided)

North Charleston is anticipating the opening of an inclusive playground and a completely revamped Park Circle that’s on track to open this fall, according to Ryan Johnson, a representative for the mayor’s office.

Johnson said the playground will likely be finished before the park opens in November, but it will officially open along with the rest of the park. So far, the rest of the park is on track for the fall opening.

The park is part of a $20 million project that will revitalize Park Circle. Planners say the playground will be the largest inclusive playground in the country.

Johnson believes the reimagined Park Circle could mean big things for the city. He said queries are coming in from across the country.

“We are getting the feeling this will be a popular project,” he said. He said the city will hold a large ceremony when the park opens.

“I don’t know of any other projects in the world that are as large as this playground,” said Pat Faust with Landscape Structures, one of the contractors working on the project.

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The goal for the 55,000-square-foot playground, Johnson said, is to have a place where everyone can play. He mentioned the old-style playgrounds that were mostly steel and divided kids between skill levels. Now, the playground will be available to children with disabilities like Down syndrome, autism, mobility difficulties and more. The city will have a therapeutic program manager on staff once the park opens to continue to address the needs of all children.

“There’s intentionality going on,” he said. For instance, he noted the slides will be stainless steel so children with cochlear implants won’t have problems using the slide. There will also be double-wide ramps leading to playground equipment for children to walk with disabled friends.

The old Felix C. Davis Community Center was demolished earlier this year, and a new building with twice the space is under construction. The new community center will be an event space with a theater and meeting rooms.

The theater itself will be in a somewhat black box style, Johnson said, which involves a square room with black walls and a flat floor.

The project was funded through a tax increment financing district, which is funding earmarked for public projects like Park Circle, and will not come out of the general fund. It’s part of a $45 million project for the area.

Mike McMillan is a contributing writer for SC Biz News.

The new playground is part of a $20 million reimagining of Park Circle in North Charleston. (Rendering/Provided)