Friends of Stewart Park and the City of Ithaca are proud to announce that construction work has started on a new Splash Pad and Playground Bathroom in Stewart Park.
A Groundbreaking Ceremony was held on Wednesday, January 10, to kick off the start of construction. Remarks were made by Ithaca Mayor Rob Cantelmo, NYS District 125 Assemblymember Anna Kelles, Amanda Marsh of NYS Parks, and FSP’s Rick Manning.
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all who contributed to help make this happen! Friends of Stewart Park and the City of Ithaca are aiming for the project to be completed for a July 4, 2024 opening.
Funding for the Splash Pad project includes $500,000 awarded from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund; $250,000 of NYS funding made possible by Assemblymember Kelles; $50,000 from Tompkins County Tourism Program; and $100,000 in private donations.
The new Splash Pad will complete the Stewart Park Inclusive Playground which was built in two phases over several years and completed in 2020. The new Splash Pad provides an opportunity for free water play for kids of all ages since lake swimming is not allowed in Stewart Park due to safety and water quality concerns.
The park’s current splash pad, a concrete sprinkler area, was installed in the early 1950s. While it still functioned, it was small, inaccessible, and its drainage was no longer up to code.
The new Splash Pad will be 50% bigger than the existing one and will offer engaging features such as a spinning overhead fountain and dynamic overhead and in-ground sprayers. There will be no curbing, making it accessible to children and their caregivers in wheelchairs or with mobility issues. The Splash Pad will have two zones: a sensory-friendly zone where water flow is more gentle for younger kids and those with sensitivity, and a zone where water activity is more lively. A mural of the Finger Lakes will be painted on the surface of the attraction.
Additionally, the new Splash Pad will be more environmentally friendly, with push-button water activation that will “time-off” when no-one is playing, and a spray-to-drain system that will loop the water into a sanitary waste system.
The new adjacent Seasonal Bathroom Building building will feature three accessible bathrooms with space to change, including an all-gender/family bathroom with an adult changing table. Conveniently located near the playground, these bathrooms will be open April-November when the park receives the most visitors.
