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City of Boston’s First Universally Accessible Playground Unveiled

Nov 04, 2013

Mayor Thomas M. Menino today joined Liberty Mutual Insurance Chairman and CEO David H. Long for a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil the City of Boston’s first universally accessible playground at the Charlestown Navy Yard. The project includes a new, 23,000 square foot boardwalk and 63 pieces of play equipment contained in a 15,000 square foot rubber playground area, complete with ADA accessible paths and gathering spaces. The land used for the project was previously owned by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and was transferred to the Boston Parks Department to allow for the creation of the playground.
“This playground has been very special to me. It will be the first in our city that is universally accessible to children and adults of all abilities,” Mayor Menino said. “This is Boston at its best – people coming together to improve the quality of life for the residents of our city.”
 
Liberty Mutual Insurance provided the cornerstone donation of $1 million for the creation and construction of the playground. Approximately 100 children, with and without disabilities, were on hand for the celebration.
 
“Today is a very special day for us at Liberty Mutual Insurance,” said David H. Long, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance. “Today, our small, yet honorable guests will break in a remarkable place where children of all abilities can play together. We are thrilled to have made Boston's universally accessible playground possible.”
 
The park also includes benches, tables, trash receptacles, bike racks, fence/rail systems, signage and lighting, and connection to the Harborwalk liner path system. More than 400 granite blocks were used for construction, some sourced from the original seawall on site. Timbers used for seating were once intended for use for mast during Drydock 5’s shipbuilding era.
 
Also participating in the celebration were David Storto, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital President, Kristin McCosh, Commissioner for Boston’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Boston Parks Commissioner Toni Pollack, and children from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and the Harvard-Kent Elementary School.
 
“We applaud the leadership of Mayor Menino, David Long and all of the donors here today in creating this tremendous recreational resource for children of all physical abilities,” said David Storto, President of Spaulding. “The universally accessible playground is synergistic with the commitment Spaulding made in building its new hospital to serve as a model of inclusive design and we are extremely proud and pleased to be associated with it,” Storto went on to say.
 
During the event children from Spaulding Hospital as well as kindergarteners, first and second graders from nearby Harvard-Kent School and Escuelita Borikén located in the South End helped to christen the new playground.
 
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