PROJECT SPOTLIGHT JACKSON PARK ALL-INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND HENDERSON COUNTY, NC

Jackson Park, located in western North Carolina, is the largest municipality-owned park in the area, spanning over 200 acres. It offers a wide range of recreational amenities including ballfields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a disc golf course, hiking trails, the Oklawaha Greenway, a bike skills area, picnic tables, covered shelters and a designated dog area.

In 2020, the previous playground in Jackson Park was removed due to safety concerns. For the new playground, RVE provided various services including civil/site engineering, landscape architecture, bidding and construction administration and inspection services. The project goal was to create a recreational playground space of approximately 10,000 square feet within Jackson Park.

RVE’s scope of services included cost estimation, project management, meetings with County staff and stakeholders, presentations to the Board of Commissioners, design workshops and permitting. We worked closely with Henderson County Parks and Recreation staff to ensure the design met the project's goals and addressed any public concerns.

The result of the project is an all-inclusive playground that caters to children between the ages of two to 12 years old. It also includes fitness equipment suitable for children aged 13 and older. The comprehensive site design incorporated various elements such as grading, drainage, concrete borders, sidewalks, restroom facilities, rubberized fall surfaces, playground equipment, fitness equipment, benches, trash/recycle receptacles and shade structures.

The playground project was made possible through collaboration among the Henderson County Board of Commissioners, Henderson County Tourism Development Authority, Pardee UNC Health Care, the Community Foundation of Henderson County, local businesses and privately raised funds. Funding for the project came from different sources such as a $200,000 grant from the NC State Investment Fund, a $150,000 tourism grant from the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority and $400,000 allocated from the American Rescue Plan.