Michigan Business Beat | Laurie Baumer - Lansing's Play Michigan! All-Inclusive Playground

Jeffrey Mosher welcomed back Laurie Baumer Capital Region Community Foundation, President & CEO, Lansing, MI. Play Michigan! All-Inclusive Playground is Open Welcome back Laurie, could you please remind the Michigan business community on what it took to get to last Friday's ribbon cutting? Dig a little deeper when we describe Play Michigan as an All-Inclusive Playground, what does that really mean for visitors? $3.2 million, that doesn't happen alone, who were instrumental in making that unique park for the to the region? You helped us understand its qualities and features. Where else in Michigan would someone have to go for these, or is this the only one? 500 W. Grand Avenue on the downtown Lansing riverfront. First, give listeners who are only slightly familiar with the capital city an idea where that is, and was the riverfront selected to tie in with other placemaking efforts for the area? Will this be a seasonal Spring to Autum location or be used year around? LANSING, MICH. —Play Michigan!, the region's first universally-accessible playground, is open after a ribbon cutting Friday, September 15. Play Michigan! is designed to meet the needs of children with physical, sensory, and developmental disabilities. The playground features wheelchair-accessible play equipment, specialty swings and ramps, sensory play areas, and other inclusive features, ensuring that children of all abilities can play side by side. The 10,000-square-foot playground is part of a 66,000-square-foot park, located at 500 W. Grand Avenue on the downtown Lansing riverfront. The park also includes a picnic deck, pavilion, and dedicated barrier-free parking. In addition, a wide boardwalk and dock allow every child to experience the waterfront. Feedback from the Autism community prompted the Foundation to add safety features to help prevent children from running to the water. "As parents of children with disabilities, it can be so disheartening and such a struggle to find access to places and events that others attend without issue,”