Editor’s Note: the following is a news release from the Urbana Park District. AMBUCS Park is located at 1012 E. University Ave. in Urbana.
After much planning and hard work, the Urbana Park District will officially dedicate its new and improved AMBUCS Park playground. The public is invited to join the celebration at the AMBUCS Scarecrow Festival at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 14.
The AMBUCS playground was first put into the park in 1993. With a brand-new playground and renovations that help get visitors to and from park features more easily, the park is ready for a new generation of children and families to enjoy. In addition to the play pieces, new bleachers at the Challenger ball field will make baseball games more fun for spectators.
Dawn Schaefer, the Director of the Champaign-Urbana Special Recreation, commented on the new playground equipment.
“The playground’s layout and the new musical instruments offer many ways to enjoy the space and interact with the environment,” she said.
“AMBUCS Park is becoming a destination park within the community,” Schaefer said. “Families will find this park a great place for inclusive play for all their children, no matter what their ability level.”
Phase one of the three-phase improvement plan for AMBUCS Park is complete. Finished renovations include a new accessible playground, bleachers and spectator areas, and updated pathways connecting the playground to the various parts of the park. Project Manager Derek Liebert estimated the total cost of the project to be around $350,000.
The playground will serve as a gathering point for the community, bringing together families, schools and camps.
Urbana Park District Associate Director Tim Bartlett added, “AMBUCS Park playground will have the District’s first playground with a large musical feature. AMBUCS Park is in a great location for this type of accessible play feature in that there are no homes nearby to be concerned about any ambient sound levels.”
Major financial sponsors for this improvement project include Fed-Ex, Champaign-Urbana MTD, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and Scott Anderson.