The topic of playgrounds has been hot in The News, and for good reason.
It’s summertime. Kids should have places to play and there are either not enough such magical spaces or, as in the case of some public housing complexes, those that exist are in unsafe condition.
Grownups are on the case, and that’s good. More and faster would be better, if you ask the kids and their parents. But it is hopeful to know that crumbling, out-of-date playgrounds will be updated.
Such is the promise by the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority. Its executive director, Gillian Brown, bristled at photographs by The News which undertook an investigation over the past month, visiting 14 BMHA developments that cater to families with children.
The results were disappointing and included swing sets with no swings, sharp edges on broken equipment and metal slides that get so hot, a 3-year-old boy developed a fear of them.
At least 2,500 children live in public housing here. They deserve safe places to play. To his credit, Brown took immediate measures upon viewing the photographs to inspect all housing authority playgrounds and make needed repairs. (Hours after the article appeared, workers installed four swings at the Kenfield playground to which several girls sang out in unison “Thank you for the swings.”). It had only been at least five years overdue, according to one resident.
Brown isn’t done. Besides the cleanup at the Shaffer Village playground off Isabelle Street, the housing authority is planning a major overhaul of the playgrounds at Langfield Homes, next to Kenfield, as part of a larger Langfield upgrade. The executive director acknowledged the need for fuller assessment and change: “We won’t be replacing metal with metal.”
The housing authority is not the only place where playgrounds need help, or simply need to be installed.
Assemblyman Sean Ryan pledged $100,000 in state funding to build a new playground in an Elmwood neighborhood he called a “playground desert.” A playground once existed on the grounds of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church but was removed in 2011 so that a parking lot could be built. Now, no dedicated play space is available for kids within a half-mile radius. The nearest playground is at School 45 at 141 Hoyt St. on the West Side, across from the Full Circle swing set public art project. Ryan said the playground should be ready by summer 2021. It could be ready, sooner.
The broader issue of playgrounds and playing time is being tackled by public and nonprofit entities throughout the region. Most notable is the $5 million being provided by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in Western New York to build small, innovative play spaces, custom designed playgrounds and skate parks in the region. The foundation is donating the same amount in Southwest Michigan.
The Wilson Foundation is partnering with the nonprofit KaBoom! to create play spaces and the Tony Hawk Foundation to build skate parks.
Even more significant is the Wilson Foundation’s $50 million pledge to build a signature park at LaSalle, along with another $50 million to develop a regional trail system. The $100 million gift makes it the largest philanthropic donation ever made in Western New York. In that plan, a major a playground will be located in the center of the park.
Playgrounds are essential to healthy development. They are places of camaraderie and community, where kids can run free and parents can trust in the safety and security of their little ones. These are healthy, hopeful developments.
