Construction is well underway for the newly imagined Bryant Park. Observers will notice a majority of the earthwork has started, with construction fencing and materials lining much of the park space as work continues. The former warming house and playground shelter has been completely removed from the existing site, paving the way to begin sanitary and water lines the week of October 1^st, residents in the area have been notified of the impending work and how they will be affected. Following this work and beginning next week will be excavating, footings and foundation walls for the new shelter building.

Residents, elected officials, and staff met at Bryant Park on Wednesday, August 21 to break ground on the improvements beginning at Bryant Park the week of September 3. Residents will notice demolition beginning this week.

The City Council reviewed and approved the 90% design plans and cost estimate for Bryant Park and the inclusive playground at its April 15 City Council meeting. Plan designs are located at the top of the in the document library on this site. Agenda item begins at 48:20 minutes into the meeting.

Ongoing conversations with members of the public help the city ensure resident concerns and dreams for the playground are directly reflected in the alternatives developed. Most recently members of the public provided input on the final draft of the playground design. The final design reflects the following modifications suggested by the public:

• Oddle Swing was removed in favor of adding more traditional belt swings, tot swing seat and a Friendship Swing.
• Benches scattered throughout the playground site were added.
• OmniSpin Spinner replaced a Curva Spinner to ensure a more accessible opportunity for a larger number of children.

At the request of the public, a fence was added around the playground for safety. The plans evolved from no fence, to partially fenced with a vegetative barrier, to fully fenced in the final design. Community members had mixed reactions about the 2 openings in the fence. Some members of the community, especially those with mobility limitations and parents with strollers, preferred 2 openings, siting ease of access to get to other areas of the park and feeling too closed in with just one opening. Other community members worry about safety and keeping children in sight with two openings and prefer one opening. The design team is working on a one opening plan for the fencing.

Review the 14 views of the final playground design under documents and rendering on the right side of this page.

Partnerships are key...

Tod Pod is a Bloomington based not-for profit focused on peer support for families of young children. They offer playgroup activities for families with children from birth though five years of age in Bloomington and Richfield. Tod Pod has 503 unique families, 75% who live in Bloomington/Richfield.

Tod Pod founder, Tara Owens, worked closely with city staff to ensure updates were available to members of the organization. The input of Tod Pod families directly influenced the types and numbers of equipment available at the park. This group also advocated for the addition of a fence to provide separation and safety between the playground and the pond.

Physical therapists from the school districts early childhood family education were also engaged during this process and felt their input for inclusive design was heard.

Here's what residents are saying...

• "Appreciate all the public feedback being considered in design. Would like to see seating options in the fenced area for child breaks, caregivers, mobility needs and those with babies." [Staff note: benches have been added around the playground site.]
• "Needs 1-2 more tot swings! YAY FOR INCLUSIVITY" [Staff note: design has been modified to add more swings.]
• "Heck yes!! Looks amazing! Lots of variety, options for whole body play, love the ground/floor stuff, yay!!
• Yes, my child will be able to play freely at this playground"
• Yes!! This park will engage my children for hours!"

Engagement Summary

An inclusive playground will be added as part of the Bryant Park renovation project. The final playground design will be presented to the City Council In April, 2024 (moved from February). Community can see the design and provide comments or seek clarification on the design and elements.

Background: The Parks Master Plan, approved August 2020, identified the need for an inclusive playground in Bloomington. Bryant Park was identified as the location for this new playground. Engagement on Bryant Park began in 2022 and continues. Engagement specifically on the inclusive playground elements began in 2023.

Initial engagement sought to understand how community utilized the park and what general elements were of interest. In the fall of 2023, the team shared with community 2 potential inclusive playground designs. The community was asked to review both designs and provide input to allow the design team to come up with one final design.

April 2024 (moved from February), a single, final design will be presented to Council following a third opportunity for the community to ask clarifying questions about the design. This design is reflective of significant community input to date. Limited modifications can be made at this stage of design.

View Designs

• Playground site overview
• View 1
• View 2
• View 3
• View 4
• Site Plan (Red highlight indicates fenced area around playground with two entrances)
• Bryant Park Plan

Key Considerations from What we Heard:

• From the Community
  • Ensure playground elements meet the needs of people with various types of disabilities and needs including:
    • People with cognitive and physical disabilities
    • Upper and lower body strength activities
    • Verbal and non-verbal interaction activities
    • Places for louder plan and quieter play
  • Ensure elements for all ages
    • Toddlers
    • Older children
  • Consider the site line aesthetic from neighboring homes
    • Height of elements
    • Calming color scheme
  • Safety and Access
    • Fenced in playground area to protect children from the nearby pond
    • Located further from the pond for additional safety
    • Better access to the playground from the parking lot
• Professional considerations
  1. Incorporation of existing landscape and hill and provision of and incorporated accessible path
  2. Philosophy of inclusive play (see Flagships brochures in the Important Links folder)
  3. Review from professional in the field with disabilities
  4. Budget

Next Steps

• The final playground design is available on Let’s Talk Bloomington as of February 9, 2024.
• Clarifying questions or comments on the final design will be taken until February 22.
• Reflection on public questions/clarifications will be provided at an April City Council meeting.
• The estimated build start is Fall 2024.

The Bryant Park Skate Spot is designed with novice skaters in mind, offering a safe and welcoming environment for those who are new to the activity. A beginner skate park aims to provide a positive and inclusive experience for new skaters, helping them develop their skills and confidence. Users will enjoy multiple types of ramps, rails and curbing for their skating pleasure.

This image shows potential skate spot elements.

Bryant Park Pond Maintenance (2024) The ponds in Bryant Park serve an important function, collecting dirt and sediment that is washed off the streets, parking lots, driveways, etc. from 372 acres in Bloomington. The Water Resources Department monitors the water and ponds to understand how well they clean water before it continues through more storm sewer, ultimately to Nine Mile Creek. In coordination with the Park Renovation Project, the ponds will be dredged, removing accumulated sediment. This work is most efficiently done during the winter. The islands will remain and restoration of the banks will occur and be included in the overall park project scheduled to begin in May 2024. The most current pond maintenance construction updates can be found on the Engineering Division project page.

BRYANT PARK UPPER POND: Due to the unseasonably warm weather, crews were unable to remove accumulated sediment from the upper pond at Bryant Park, 901 W. 84th St. this winter. Work to button up the site until next winter will be done the week of February 19^th. This will include seeding disturbed areas with a cover crop until the park-wide updates begin this spring.