Officials to launch Findlay Playground reopening with community clean-up effort

As workers repaired and repainted parts of the jungle gym at Findlay Playground this week, Cincinnati Recreation Commission staffers met with about two dozen community members to discuss the details of reopening the park.

FINDLAY PLAYGROUND REOPENSTHIS WEEKEND.THAT'S AFTERRESIDENTS WAITED FOR NEARLYTWO YEARS TO GET BACK INTO THEPARK, WHICH WAS CLOSED TOELIMINATE CRIME AND DRUG USE-- AND RENOVATE THE AREA.WCPO'S MONIQUE JOHN TAKES ATLOOK AT WHAT IMPROVEMENTS TOEXPECT -- AND WHAT THECINCINNATI RECREATIONCOMMISSION IS DOING TO DRIVEMORE POSITIVE ACTIVITY TO THEPARK.çRoll PkgÑçStandupÑIt's stilllocked up and empty now, buton Saturday, FindlayPlayground will be filled withdozens of neighbors andofficials as they work toclean it up and make it moreattractive for families andindividuals to spend time inthe area.

çsot: Alisa Berry,Executive Director,Cornerstone Renters EquityÑ"It'll be nice to have thepark open and to see how itthat affects the community.

Itis an amenity that they needand that they deserve."çvoÑYesterday, city officials metwith members of the communityto share details of theirreopening plans inside thepark.Officials have alreadybegun making improvements likepainting play areas and makingplans to remove dead trees andlow hanging branches.

çsot:Emily Stant-Kelly, OTRResidentÑ"I am still a littlebit concerned to see how muchof the trees they take off,because there's not a lot ofshade in Over-the-Rhine,especially in this park."çvoÑOn Saturday, attendees will beable to lend a hand to taskslike putting down mulch on thetrees that will remain.

Someof the fences will also betaken down while certain areaswill be washed down.Betterlighting will be installed.çsot: Alisa Berry, ExecutiveDirector, Cornerstone RentersEquityÑ"I think everybody isreally invested in making surethat that space is cleaned upand that that activitychanges.

I think the propertyowners are all now talking andworking together.

So I thinkthat's positive, that we havea working relationship withthe police."çvoÑOfficials saythe Cincinnati PoliceDepartment will be assigningdirect patrols to the area tomake the park safer.

TheCincinnati RecreationCommission is also issuinggrants totaling up to tenthousand dollars toindividuals as well as localbusinesses and nonprofits tocreate programming inside thepark.

çsot: Chenelle Jones,Manager of Administration atElementzÑ"We know there's aneed.

We see that there's aneed."çvoÑChenelle Jones ofElementz says her team willbegin volunteering their timeto support the C-R-C beforeapplying for a grant to hostpark activities for the youth.çsot: Chenelle Jones, Managerof Administration at ElementzÑ"We believe that theprogramming and those social-emotional skills learned wouldhelp them make betterdecisions instead of just youknow, kids continuing todowhat they see on the streetswhich is selling the drugs."çvoÑThe C-R-C says it willalso redirect cleanup effortsto the outside of the nearbyOver-the-Rhine RecreationCenter on Green and RepublicStreets.Their aim is todiscourage the loitering anddrug sales that have migratedto that area since FindlayPlayground's shutdown.Over-the-Rhine.

Monique John.WCPO 9 News.

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