New Roswell Inclusive Park May See Construction Next Year

A working design for the creation an inclusive park in Roswell is expected to be submitted to the City of Roswell sometime next spring.

Such parks, designed to offer a variety of play facilities for children at all levels of ability, are today going up across the country.

Just this last month, new inclusive park projects have been announced in Harlingen, Texas; Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Pensacola, Florida; and Salisbury, Maryland.

According to the Auburn, Virginia-based National Recreation and Parks Association, inclusive parks have been signally embraced by public parks and recreation departments in all regions of the country, with most of the new projects being seen in suburban areas.

But, according to the association, at least 71% of parks departments in urban areas, and 67% in rural areas, have also seen inclusive park construction in the last decade.

Members of the New Mexico State Legislature earlier approved a $1.4 million capital outlay appropriation for the building of an inclusive park in Roswell, with its location subsequently approved by the Roswell City Council in October.

That location is on the west side of the city, near the Roswell Recreation and Aquatic Center at 1402 W. College Boulevard.

The engineering firm of Bohannan Huston, with offices in Albuquerque, has been brought in to work with Roswell’s Parks and Recreation Department on a design for the facility.

According to the city’s Infrastructure Committee documents, the new Roswell inclusive park project will include the construction of a dancing fountain, picnic area and bathroom, as well as new drainage and lighting.
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If all goes well, work is expected to begin on the Cielo Grande All Inclusive Park later next year, with a rough completion date of late 2021.

​By Garry Boulard

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