A multi-year effort to build an inclusive playground on the Walker County Civic Center campus will soon be a reality. The Walker County Board of Commissioners voted to invest $406,518.76 to construct what will be a “National Demonstration Site” for inclusive play near the Civic Center pavilion.

The playground will include a poured in place rubberized service and ramps with barriers to make it accessible to children of all abilities. Along with traditional playground components like slides and rockers, several climbing features were included in the design to compliment Walker County’s outdoor recreational attractions, like Rocktown.

Funding for the project comes primarily from the voter approved SPLOST, along with the county’s tourism product development fund, which receives a small portion of hotel/motel taxes paid by visitors.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for early September. If there are no delays caused by weather or other issues during installation, the new playground will be ready for action this fall.

Planning for a second phase, which would expand the playground and add swings and a zipline, is already underway.