DCNR: Pennsylvania Invests in Bethlehem's Green Playground to Promote Outdoor Activity, Urban Renewal

BETHLEHEM, Pa., April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary John Quigley today announced a $75,000 grant to Bethlehem for a new playground in the city's Higbee Park that will be designed by kids and will help encourage them to play outdoors.

"Providing greater opportunities for healthy, unstructured outdoor play is important to our children, particularly in urban areas," Quigley said. "We are happy to see the city engaging adults and kids in designing this play area, and we're encouraged that many green features will be included in the vision for the renewal of Higbee Park.

"This project will transform an outdated urban, blacktop park into a green and playful area for the community to enjoy. These investments make our downtowns places where people want to live, work and play," Quigley added.

The playground, built in association with the national non-profit organization KaBOOM!, will incorporate ideas from children and residents who live in downtown Bethlehem gathered at a Design Day today. KaBOOM! is dedicated to bringing play back into the lives of children. Its mission is to create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities.

This project is being coordinated with the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities being held in Bethlehem in June. During the meeting, 100 volunteers will begin work on the play area. The city will implement the remainder of the planned work through the summer months.

Other elements of Higbee Park's transformation, located at Spring and Franklin streets, will include removing blacktop, creating green space to reduce stormwater runoff, planting a community food garden, installing picnic tables and benches, erecting a shade shelter, and improving the basketball court.

DCNR's grant advances the Lehigh Valley Greenways' landscape initiative, which works to revitalize the core communities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton by integrating green infrastructure into riverfront development, greenways, trails and neighborhood projects.  

For more information about KaBOOM! play systems, visit www.kaboom.org. For more information about the DCNR grant program, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us and choose "Find a Grant," or call 717-772-9101.

Media contact: Christina Novak, 717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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