All-inclusive park is coming to Gladstone after council approval

GLADSTONE, Mo. (KCTV) – Flora Park is just like any typical playground where you probably see kids playing, but what you might not notice are the kids who aren’t currently playing there.

Gladstone City Council approved $500,000 and their partner Variety KC added an additional $250,000 to make the park inclusive for children of all abilities.

Justin Merkey, director of Gladstone Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts, said the project has been in the back of his mind for the past nine years, and he will be excited to see it come to fruition in the fall of 2025.

“We want to create a space that is suitable for all levels, for all children from all walks of life,” Merkey said. “That could be a child in a wheelchair, it could be a child with autism, it could be a child who is blind to be able to come out here – and be side by side with his buddy and have fun , just like every other child in the world. the world.”

Construction on phase one of the project will begin in the spring of 2025.

“Phase two would come at a later date, probably about two years from today,” Merkey said. “That would expand the playground, put in restrooms, a shelter and then also some improvements to the site to make it easier for vans and/or buses to get in and out, because we know that if we build this facility, this playground will be a regional attraction . .”

Variety KC is also developing another project in Riverside, near the LiveNation Amphitheater development, said Marc Harrell, Variety KC’s chief inclusion officer.

“We are getting ready to launch a capital campaign to build a fully inclusive and accessible 5-acre park in Riverside,” said Harrell. “We always say that Kansas City is the most inclusive city in the world, so we strive every day to make sure that’s true and that it’s factual.”