City Of Stow: Stow City Center Project To Commence With Rebuild Of Skip Playground

Press release from the City of Stow:

2021-07-09

The City of Stow is hard at work on its City Center Project, a development plan that will create a community gathering space on the site of the former SKIP Playground and adjacent property. This first project in the City Center development will focus on the rebuild of Skip Playground, creating an abundance of fun and easily accessible opportunities for families and children.  Groundbreaking is expected to take place this Fall, with installation of playground components next Spring.

This community amenity will serve as an anchor project for a comprehensive, long-term plan to develop a focal center for the City of Stow, successfully combining culture, recreation, leisure, education, wellness, inclusion, and more. Importantly, this project will engage residents and visitors alike.

“This project is an important undertaking for the City of Stow, and we want to make sure it is done thoughtfully and with the community’s best interest in mind,” said City of Stow Mayor John Pribonic. “We are very excited regarding the progress we’ve made. We are all working very hard on the planning and fundraising to make this space a reality. Once complete, the City Center will be a family-friendly, fun, safe and inviting place for all residents to visit, play, exercise and enjoy!”

The City of Stow conducted a Visioning Workshop in 2019 that helped create a plan for the space. The workshop included members of the Parks and Recreation Board, Arts Commission, Commission on Inclusion, and Senior Citizens Commission. At the conclusion of the workshop, approximately 20 residents agreed to volunteer on ad hoc committees. The Playground Committee and the Steering (Fundraising) Committee were formed. Prior to COVID, the committees were meeting regularly to discuss their areas of focus. Both committees submitted recommendations to the administration. These recommendations are shaping the project as it develops.

They concluded with the mission of the project: “To create a welcoming, safe outdoor gathering space custom-tailored by the community for the community that encourages interactive, healthy play and independence for people of all ages and abilities.”

“We are so appreciative of our community volunteers and the hard work they have dedicated to this signature project,” said Mayor Pribonic.

Prior to COVID, the Steering Committee was working hand in hand with the administration, and had acquired approximately $275,000 in pledged private donations for the project. Since then, the mayor and administration have raised a total of $425,000, with most of the remaining funds needed for the project committed in principle.

“We appreciate the public’s continued support on this initiative,” said Mayor Pribonic. “This project is going to bring so much joy to everyone in our community, and we are just as eager to see this completed as our citizens are. It is a project that we can all be proud of!”

STOW, OH – (July 9, 2021)

This press release was produced by the City of Stow. The views expressed here are the author’s own.