New playground coming to beloved Cleveland park

CLEVELAND (WJW) — A park on Cleveland’s west side will soon have a new playground after decades of having the same setup.

Monday was the final day for kids to play on the playground at Impett Park in its current form.

With demolition beginning Tuesday, Ward 17 city councilman Charles Slife said officials are set to build something sizeable that hasn’t really been seen within the city of Cleveland.

Slife told FOX 8 News that the improved playground is a result of the people who live in the west park neighborhood, where he grew up himself.

“This is the same playground I played on in the 90s, and there’s been some patch work to it, but there’s really been an eagerness for a new playground that reflects how much everybody loves this neighborhood and loves the park,” Slife said.

The truth is, the new playground really will be an exact result of the people who live there — specifically the kids.

The group Friends of Impett Park, which works to invest in the park and its green spaces, held several community meetings where they got input on what people want out of a new playground.

“We gave kids stickers to put next to pieces of equipment that they liked, and it got kids really excited for the possibility for the playground,” said Morgan Bischof, the communication coordinator for the volunteer group.

The new park will be inclusive, exceeding standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Bischof said. It will also include a zip line.

Slife said they wanted to build the playground of their dreams, knowing it would probably exceed the budget.

The price tag is $1.4 million and federal American Rescue Plan Act funds distributed to the wards in Cleveland will cover $750,000 of that.

Slife said he worked with his colleagues on council to fill the gap and get the funding.

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