Baltimore City officials on Thursday cut the ribbon on a brand-new playground next to DeWees Park in Northeast Baltimore.
This marked the final American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-funded playground to open in the city.
“Together with Recreation and Parks and our local, state and federal partners, we’re making sure every young person who grows up in Baltimore City has access to high-quality spaces like this one,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement. “Instead of looking at young people as a problem to solve—the way I was looked at growing up—we see them as resources to invest in.”
Other officials and community leaders joined Scott for the event, including Maryland State Sen. Mary Washington, Maryland Del. Elizabeth Embry, Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway, and Baltimore City Comptroller Bill Henry.
It took nearly $350,000 in both ARPA funds and money from the Maryland’s Community Parks and Playground program to build the new and expanded playground. It has new benches, three swing sets, a tall double-tiered tower, an extra-large slide, a climbing net, and separate smaller equipment for children ages two to five years old.
“DeWees Park is so important to me,” Henry said. “Growing up in the nearby Lothian Apartments I played regularly at the park’s recreation center. As City Councilman for the 4th District, I worked with the community to fight for improvements. This new playground is a vital investment in our area’s recreational opportunities, and its impact will be immediately felt. Our children deserve this.”
This playground project is part of the city’s Rec Roll Out program, which prioritizes giving children access to safe, accessible, and most up-to-date recreational facilities with the ARPA funds given to the city. Thanks to the Office of Recovery Programs, Baltimore has allocated $58 million of ARPA funding to parks and public spaces through BCRP. More than $5 million has directly funded new playgrounds.
Because of its location next to the DeWees Recreation Center, the new playground is ideal for after-school programming and more centralized recreation opportunities. It is also part of a larger capital development plan, which includes the renovation of DeWees Park and the addition of a walking loop.
“Yesterday we celebrated the opening of a bigger and better playground at DeWees Park, marking our final ARPA-funded playground,” said Dr. Reginald Moore, director of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks. “We know that playgrounds are assets for our neighborhoods. That’s why projects like this are at the heart of our Rec Rollout initiative, focusing on equity and investing local, state and federal dollars where it is needed most.”
For more information about the Rec Rollout program and Baltimore’s investment in recreation and parks, visit the city’s Recreation and Parks website.
