Despite worries over city funding for green spaces, Sibelius Square Park, Taddle Creek Park and Vermont Square are three Annex parks being revitalized.
“We want to make sure we deliver not just great parks in the Annex, but great parks in the ward,” said Coun. Adam Vaughan. Although the city paid for the parks, the community led the project.
Both Sibelius Square Park and Taddle Creek Park had their grand reopening last month. Completion of Vermont Square is targeted for the fall. According to Vaughan, the parks were all heavily used, but play equipment and other infrastructure had become outdated.
At Sibelius Square Park, working group members have kept the ice rink as the focal point but added a play space for kids of different ages. At Taddle Creek Park, Vaughan said the focus was on tradition. “The city had more of a futuristic design, but the community really pulled it back,” he said.
At Vermont Square, locals have added artistic elements such as a performance stage. Within the park is a playground dedicated to local poet Dennis Lee. Erin Mitchell, the playground committee co-chair, said next will be a project to memorialize Lee’s verse throughout the space. The enhanced Vermont Square cost the city approximately $500,000. David Harvey, executive director of local organization Park People, said, with current budget talks, funding for similar park projects will likely be rare in the near future.