Friends of Chimborazo Playground and members of the community met informally with the Department of Parks & Recreation and BAM Architects on July 31 to review Chimborazo Playground design revisions. The design features a main vista looking through the park from 29th Street to 31st.  Ten community garden plots would line the northern alley; a sidewalk would line the southern perimeter of the park. The tall fences currently surrounding the park would be replaced with berms, lower walls and other landscape features to make the area less “penal looking.”

The group also began discussions about how the project could be broken into phases and developing a major fundraising plan.

{ 15 comments }

The Friends of Chimborazo Playground, the petanque club, Tricycle Gardens, BAM Architects and the Richmond Department of Parks and Recreation met on Monday, June 30 at the playground to review block planning ideas. We also shared all feedback from the community posted here on this website. BAM is going to take this feedback and will work to incorporate it into the designs. The group also discussed dividing the renovation into multiple phases. The next (and last) public focus group meeting will occur in early August; we will post the date here as soon as it’s official.

{ 0 comments }

At last! BAM Architects has kindly shared the conceptual renderings and diagrams presented at the last focus group meeting. Of particular interest are the “Block Planning Ideas,” which is meant to show how different areas of activity (e.g., basketball, tennis and petanque courts, community gardens, playground, and skateboard areas) can be arranged within the park. Provide your feedback (especially on the block planning) to share with BAM and the Richmond Dept of Parks and Recreation.

Block Planning Ideas [PDF] ©2008 BAM Architects

Qualities of a Great Park [PDF] ©2008 BAM Architects

Architectural Renderings

Entryway to renovated Chimborazo Park, ©2008 BAM Architects

Basketball courts, ©2008 BAM Architects

Pavillion, ©2008 BAM Architects

Petanque courts, ©2008 BAM Architects

Additional Resources

Helpful Websites

http://www.pps.org/parks_plazas_squares/
http://www.freeplaynetwork.org.uk/index.html
http://www.naturalplaygrounds.com/
http://www.boundlessplaygrounds.org/
http://www.childrenandnature.org/

Interesting Articles

http://www.sansehaver.dk/images/Helle%20Nebelong.pdf
http://www.slate.com/id/2190362/

Inspiration for Architectural Renderings Above

http://flickr.com/photos/rethinkingchildhood/ (has a whole collection of ‘natural’ playground photos)
http://flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=diagonal+mar+water&m=text (this search will land you lots of photos of the
water sculpture you liked which is in the massive Diagonal Mar Park by Enric Miralles in Barcelona)
http://www.pps.org/general_gifs/newsletter/sep2004/great_parks.gif (source for our “successful park” board)

{ 0 comments }

WRIC featured a story yesterday, May 5, on how police, the Parks Department and Friends of Chimborazo are working together to overcome crime and safety issues at the playground.

{ 0 comments }

[Updated May 6; see blue text] The Department of Parks & Recreation held a focus group meeting at St. John’s Parish Hall to discuss the redesign of Chimborazo Playground. Approximately 25 people attended, including petanque players, parks representatives, Tricycle Gardens, and Friends of Chimborazo Playground members and community parents. This was the second of three focus group meetings; the discussion was led by BAM Architect Ann Durkin.

The total budget for the project [click to continue…]

{ 3 comments }

What changes would you like to see at Chimborazo Playground? Send your ideas and we’ll share them at the upcoming focus group meeting on the park redesign with the Richmond Parks & Recreation Department.

{ 6 comments }

The Richmond Department of Parks & Recreation will hold a focus group meeting to discuss and exchange ideas on the redesign of the Chimborazo Playground and Recreation area. The meeting will be held on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 6:30 pm in in St. John’s Parish Hall.  For more information, contact Mr. Heywood Harrison, Parks Planner, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities at 804-646-5608 or at Heywood.Harrison@richmondgov.com.

{ 0 comments }

The Friends of Chimborazo Playground is a new grassroots organization seeking to improve the safety and beauty of the playground and recreation area at Chimborazo Park. We’re seeking new members and board officers. Anyone can join and membership is free.

We recently formed Friends of Chimborazo Playground to address decline and safety issues at the playground and recreational area located between North 29th and 31st Streets and East Grace Street.  We regularly find discarded condoms, broken bottles and even crack bags littering the playground. Graffiti covers the jungle gym and transients regularly urinate on the storage facility.  No lights at night attract criminal activity.

As individuals, we’ve worked with police and parks officials to step up patrols and clean up the park. They do what they can, but we have realized that it will require the entire community to make permanent changes in the park. That’s why we’ve formed Friends of Chimborazo Playground.

We’re inviting everyone to join and share their ideas for making the playground and recreation area a safe, beautiful place for community members of all ages to play, gather and enjoy.

{ 0 comments }