Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department to enter into contract with O.A. Spencer, INC. for the Underground Railroad Playground Project. The contract amount is $180,924.00, with a contingency of $20,000.00, for a total of $200,924.00 being authorized by this ordinance.
The Underground Railroad Playground Project seeks to capture the historical, cultural, and geographical relevance of the Underground Railroad through the installation of thematic playground equipment and safety surfacing. This project will create the opportunity to educate visitors on an important time in history while engaging all ages and abilities in physical activity and play.
The Alum Creek corridor served as a major Underground Railroad route for enslaved people to escape from the south to the north in the decades leading up to the American Civil War. Columbus Recreation and Parks is seeking to highlight this time in history and how it has shaped the region through a series of installments in the parks and trails along the Alum Creek corridor. Recreation and Parks intends to develop a new installation annually, and unveil the design each February for Black History Month. The Underground Railroad Playground at Shepard Library and Hayden Park will be the first of these installations.
Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) owns the land for the planned project location of the Underground Railroad. It is situated between the CML Shepard Branch on the south, Hayden Park on the north, the Alum Creek Greenway Trail on the east, and Nelson Road on the west. Recreation and Parks is working closely with CML to acquire this land. Hayden Park is a 10-acre neighborhood open space in the North Central community. Hayden Park’s primary recreation focus is passive use. Hayden Park is also a trailhead for the Alum Creek Trail, which is a regional greenway trail extending 24.5 miles along the Alum Creek corridor.
The Shepard Library consists of two p...
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