ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking for a good spot to get in some extra exercise now have just that in Light Park.
A new fitness court project was approved by the Liberal City Commission at its May 27 meeting and recently completed. As Chief Communications Officer Keeley Young tells it, the project has been in the works for quite some time.
“This fitness court project is something that has been in the works for more than a year as we've been looking at different options for what we wanted to have in place of playground equipment that had been removed from that area just north of the pool,” Young said. “The equipment was aging and needed to be taken down and replaced with something different. We took some time to think on what that could look like, and this is something people in the community have brought up on multiple occasions in terms of health and wellness and having some sort of workout facility. We do have fitness court areas at a couple of the other parks in town, but Light Park is used a lot by not just the public but people who are looking for a place to do some exercise. We felt that area just off the park's walking route would be a perfect spot for people to be able to stop and do some strength training and stretching. We picked the discussions back up earlier this year and put together a proposal that featured some really good quality equipment, which we took to the Liberal City Commission, and the project was ultimately approved at the May 27 meeting.”
Like a lot of other upcoming work, Young said the project had been part of the city’s new Comprehensive Plan.
“We'd done multiple focus groups and listening sessions with the community, and this project was something that continued to be brought up and discussed,” Young said. “After that, we took some time to see what was actually out there and available – there were multiple pre-packaged fitness court deals out there that had been floated our way, but none of them really fit what we were looking for. We ended up finding some reputable companies that had done some great work in other parts of the state, and they had the equipment and understood our vision of what we were looking for for that space.”
After officially being approved in May, Young said there was a lot of excitement.
“A lot of the work behind the scenes was done by our Parks Supervisor, Bruce Young – he was the one who went and sourced the equipment and brainstormed a lot of ideas and all of that, so I know he was really excited for the project to move forward,” Young said. “He is a very project-oriented person who likes to do new things, so I know this is exciting for him. He and his staff did a lot of work getting everything prepared, and I think he's especially excited since this is a turnkey project and something we're working with contractors on for multiple facets.”
And after the time spent working on it, Young said officially getting the project off the ground is exciting.
“I'm really excited to see everything come together, this fitness court is going to look different than some of the other courts we've installed. This has playground turf installed, meaning it'll be a softer surface, which is really important in terms of safety and overall comfort,” Young said. “There is also a shade structure, which will be really nice for people who are out working out and need a place to stretch or take a few minutes' break. I think this fitness court will be a great opportunity for people who want to be healthy and get in better shape while also being able to watch their children playing in the park, so it's also a great chance for some family time. What's great about the equipment we chose is it's really safe, adaptable, multi-functional, and easy to use, so it can be used by anyone and everyone. The equipment will feature seven pieces of workout equipment: The Apollo (56 exercises, five users); The Spartan (32 exercises, four users); two Everest cardio climbers (two modes, one user); The Flex stretch station (18 stretches, one user); a sit-up multi-bench; and a push-up multi-bench. The 2270-square-foot area will be surfaced with Playground Grass turf, with a fall height of eight feet. People can do upper body workouts, lower body workouts and everything in between, which is great, and it'll be almost like an outdoor gym.”
Young added there will be many benefits from having the fitness court area and offered encouragement for people in the community to use it.
“I also see this fitness court as a community gathering space. I know there are some walk/run groups in town that meet up, and I think this is something that could go in that same direction. This is also going to be very visible, and it's something that will be seen by not only people in the community, but also people driving through town or visiting, and I think this is something really great for us to provide for people,” Young said. “I would tell people to not be intimidated, just go over and explore everything, because there will be something for everyone. If you're already in the park for a walk or something, stop by the area and include some sit-ups or push-ups to really get your body going. With everything that will be there, I think people will really enjoy having the area there in the park. The equipment is also very good quality, and I'm really excited for us to be able to showcase that since this project has been a long time coming. This project is also being funded from the 1-cent sales tax, and this is about giving back to the residents as another amenity.”
