September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 108

Not Child's Play
The collaboration and innovation behind the rebuilding
of Selena Butler Park's playground

Butler Park, therefore, had many attracfor Proposals for a donat- tions that aligned with our corporate phied playground for its second lanthropy initiatives.
It was apparent after meeting commuParks Build Community project, PlayCore,
a manufacturer of commercial play equip- nity members-plus city and park staff-
ment and NRPA member, stepped forward that this park is a very special place with
with a comprehensive proposal for a mod- significant historic and cultural value. We
el playground. Ultimately, theirs was the were thrilled to be able to help this complan selected for the revitalization effort at munity realize a dream, while incorpoSelena Butler Park, a neighborhood park rating some of the programming that
adjacent to the Martin Luther
King Jr. National Historic Site
Artist's rendering of the
in the heart of Atlanta.
playground design for
A tornado in 2008 tornado
Selena Butler Park
nearly destroyed the adjacent
community center and led to
the closing of the park. A haven for drug dealers at the time,
the park was further considered unsafe within the community. The aging, little-used
playground sat neglected until
a recent confluence of interest
in its renewal occurred. In the
following interview, PlayCore's
project leads Tom Norquist,
Lisa Moore, and Anne-Marie
Spencer discuss their partnership with NRPA and the City
of Atlanta in this national demonstration park project. They
also relate the opportunities
and challenges their team encountered- PlayCore has developed to expand play
and how they helped make this urban play- value. From the plans to use our Play On
fitness program for the playground to apground plan a reality.
plying the research developed with PlayCore's urban play studies to the inclusive
What was it about the Selena Butler
design work with Utah State University, it
Park project that made it a compelling
was clear that we had the chance to create
philanthropic initiative for PlayCore?
A great deal of PlayCore's effort is spent something unique.
It has also been exciting to partner with
on living our mission and values. The result of our business practices is as impor- NRPA, an organization we deeply believe
tant as the results we achieve. There is in and support. PlayCore has been a titaa strong interconnection between Play- nium sponsor of NRPA every year, and we
Core's culture and the beliefs, values, and were excited to hear about this new way
expectations of the individuals who are a to support the organization. At the same
part of our company. A project like Selena time we can expand our support to the
hen NRPA issued a Request

106 Parks & Recreation

SEPTEMBER 2011

www.NRPA .ORG

community where the annual Congress
and Exposition is being held. Because
the park is close to our corporate office
in Chattanooga and our largest manufacturing facility in Fort Payne, Alabama, the
Selena Butler revitalization gives our employees a chance to work closely with our
community neighbors and project partners. They can see firsthand the difference
their efforts can make for a community.

When you looked at the actual layout and
physical features of the park, what
challenges and opportunities for
creating a model playground did you see?
The original site designated for the play
space was smaller than the one we ended
up designing-and it was also tucked behind a baseball field. After listening to the
community, families, and children at planning sessions, we worked with the city
to reevaluate and choose a location that
would make the play area something really special, a focus for the park. The larger area gave us a lot of freedom to create
not only a great play space for children,

September 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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