Loring Heights Playground Unveiled

Flocks of children and their parents visited Loring Heights Park on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the completion of a brand new playground.

The playground is the centerpiece of the first phase of development for the park. The play structure took seven days to build once the ground adjacent the park’s pond was raised and leveled, according to Ron Grunwald of the Loring Heights Neighborhood Association. The playground was assembled with volunteer labor in order to reduce costs.

“Before, a lot of people may have liked the park, but there wasn’t much to do,” said Grunwald.

In order to build the playground, a portion of the park had to be raised above the level of the pond, which contributed to the project’s $180,000 price tag.

Atlanta City Councilwoman Yolanda Adrean welcomed visitors to the park and participated in the playground’s official ribbon cutting, which was met with applause.

The opening was also attended by members of Park Pride, a local non-profit with the goal of enhancing Atlanta’s parks through grants and coordinated volunteer work. The group gave Loring Heights an initial grant of $50,000 to begin work on the playground, according to Grunwald.

In addition to visiting the new playground, residents came down to learn more about the future of the park. Proposed projects include a 600 square-foot deck over a portion of the pond and a bordered path that would encircle the pond. Grunwald told visitors that he hopes to complete work on the park sometime this calendar year.

“It’s a big effort,” said Grunwald, “I really think [fundraising] doesn’t have to stop at the neighborhood.”

The significance of the playground was not lost on Councilwoman Adrean.

“Look at all of these kids,” she said, “They’re having so much fun.”

Loring Heights recently completed construction of another playground at Midtown Church. The playground is a memorial for Abby Smith, a child who recently died of cancer. It opened on July 18. There will be a neighborhood dedication of the playground after landscaping improvements are completed this fall.