Potawatomi Park Exercise Plaza

Building on the success of the Potawatomi Park "Fun for All' Project with the award of the 2007 Access to Recreation Grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County has secured additional funding for the continued development of universally accessible outdoor play. The recent award will allow the Community Foundation to expand the existing playground, built in 2009, and to construct a new outdoor exercise area.
Lehman & Lehman was commissioned by the Community Foundation to design and oversee the construction of the new exercise area and the accessible walkway. Ancon Construction of Goshen, Indiana was the contractor responsible for the implementation of the proposed design.
Below is a photographic gallery of the construction process.

Conceptual Sketch

Pre-Construction Phase

5.12.11 Proposed location of the exercise area.

5.12.11 Existing gravel path to be replaced - east connection.

5.12.11 Existing pavilion adjacent to the proposed exercise area.

7.14.11 Proposed location of new accessible walkway connecting the parking lot to the playground.

7.14.11 View of the parking lot from the top of the hill.

7.14.11 Existing walkway that the new accessible walkway will tie into.

Construction Phase

9.29.11 Excavation of main exercise area.

9.29.11 Excavation of new east walkway connection.

9.29.11 Excavation of new pavilion connection.

9.29.11 Preparation of main exercise area with adjacent pavilion in background.

9.29.11 View from the existing playground area of exercise area.

9.30.11 Excavation of accessible walkway - view from the parking lot.

9.30.11 Excavation of accessible walkway - view from the top of the hill.

9.30.11 Installation of yard drains adjacent to the exercise area.

10.14.11 Setting forms for the exercise area.

10.14.11 Concrete forms for the new pavilion walkway connection.

10.14.11 Setting forms for accessible walkway - view from the parking lot.

10.14.11 Entry node with bollards at the edge of the parking lot.

10.17.11 Early morning pour of walkway.

10.17.11 Finishing of accessible concrete walkway.

Post-Construction Phase

11.11.11 Completed accessible walkway.

11.11.11 Completed pavilion walkway connection.

11.11.11 Completed exercise area.

11.11.11 Completed exercise area - view from pavilion.