October 5, 2022 at 5:13pm

⚠️ Please Note: This article was published in 2022. Visit our Events Calendar to view current upcoming events.
Event Rescheduled: Due to inclement weather, the Pop-Up Playground Party event has been rescheduled to Monday, October 17 at 4:30pm.

Following several months of construction, the playground at Meadowhill Park, 1479 Maple Ave, Northbrook, is now open for play! Northbrook Park District is celebrating the community’s newest playground with a Pop-Up Playground Party on Wednesday, October 12 Monday, October 17 from 4:30-5:30pm. This free event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:45pm, giveaways and refreshments while supplies last, a prize drawing and family activities in the park.

Renovations at the park include a new playground featuring a synthetic safety surface which replaced woodchips, an adaptive swing set, play structures for the 2-5 and 5-12 age ranges which are accessible via a transfer station, an Infinity Bowl spinner, interactive play panels, rock climbing walls and spiral slides. There is also a new picnic table under the shelter which is wheelchair accessible and a new water fountain featuring a bottle filler and dog bowl spout.

Playground equipment was selected by members of the neighborhood who received an initial survey to determine priorities for the park followed by an invitation to vote for one of two final playground designs. Northbrook Park District broke ground on the playground replacement project in June, at which time Kids Around the World removed the old equipment for placement in a yet to be determined under-resourced area to provide play structures for children in need. This removal process is completed at no charge to the District, saving time and money.

“Our Park District team is very excited to offer another renovated playground to the Northbrook community in 2022,” said Director of Parks and Properties Chris Leiner. “Meadowhill Park has been designed to last twenty years and will provide a great place to play and gather for a whole generation of Northbrook families. The Park District continues to invest in outdoor playgrounds based on the feedback received as part of the development process of the District’s current Community Master Plan.”

With community input, the District completed and adopted a ten-year Comprehensive Master Plan which includes an annual Capital Improvement Plan. These documents forecast repair and replacement needs for parks, facilities and equipment each year. The former playground at Meadowhill Park was installed in 1996 and, at 26 years of age, had approached the end of its life cycle. Meadowhill is the second of two playground replacement projects in 2022. The first new playground at Cedar Lane Tot Lot opened in early August and is ready for play.

For more information about District Projects, visit nbparks.org/projects.