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Morris Memorial Park finally received its proper dedication, Feb. 24, after several weather delays, resetting focus onto Elgin’s other upcoming open-space renovations.
The third attempt at celebrating the new playground saw city officials, park representatives and plenty of Elgin’s youth come out to enjoy the grounds and recognize all of the hard work that goes into bettering the city.
“We are excited to provide a new play experience for kids of all ages. This is the second new playground in Elgin since 2020, and we continue to prioritize making accessibility and creative play a priority for our community,” said Mayor Theresa McShan.
Three months of public input went into creating a play space that satisfies the needs of local families, connecting the nature theme that adults requested and the tower feature that children voted for.
The end result is a 10-foot-tall treehouse-styled playground that has turned the 10acre park, initially developed in 1995, into “the most ADA accessible playground in Elgin,” according to Parks and Recreation Program Manager Elizabeth Marzec.
Park surfacing is a bonded rubber mulch, making it easier to traverse for residents reliant on canes, walkers or wheelchairs, even in rain.
Additional features include an accessible four-person seesaw, low and tethered circular swings, an obstacle course, rock wall and a canopy-shaded swing set. The tower itself provides additional shade over the main play area, and a new sidewalk leads around the playground.
“Elgin is growing with more than 2,000 new homes built or under development in the last four years. This new playground is one example of our efforts to prepare for growth and meet the needs of our community,” said Thomas Mattis, city manager. “There’s plenty to come this year in Elgin.” Even while the dust is still settling on Morris Memorial Park’s renovation, the city continues to move forward with its additions to Veterans Memorial Park and Thomas Memorial Park.
The $2.3 million expansion to the downtown square is moving along smoothly, according to city representatives, and the playground at Thomas Memorial Park has already been removed for a similar style of overhaul.
The 12-acre park near McDade Road, built in the 70s, got a fresh purple refinishing of its basketball court last year, while residents voted on what they would like to see happen for its playground replacement.
Public opinion landed on a blend of tower and hill play features. The update will also be ADA compliant, with shaded areas and double the square footage.
“Those of you who have kids, I promise you, by the end of the year you’re going to have arguments about which playground you want to go to,” added Mattis.
