O’Connell South Common
The O’Connell South Common is one of the most visited parks in the city, not just by residents of the South Common neighborhood, but by residents from all over the city.
The goals of the project are to create a destination for accessible play, design and select accessible play features, and restore and activate the bandstand.
Project Goals
The project team has had a goal of creating an accessible destination for play is the priority goal for improvements to the playground and the bandstand. The current concept draws on several universal design principles that go beyond following ADA guidelines to make the space accessible for those with visible, as well as invisible disabilities and to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to participate and play, the design of the playground will not segregate the play experience. The design will provide perceptible information to appeal to many senses (visual, auditory, tactile, experiential, etc.). Play equipment and amenities specified will have a tolerance for error, meaning the user can try something and fail safely while still being challenged. The proposed size and layout of the space creates simple and intuitive play opportunities for a wide variety of body types, sizes, ages, and abilities. Another new recreational amenity will be water play at the playground. The current concept for the water feature includes low bubbling jets set amidst natural features as well as space for dynamic jets to encourage active play.
Another way the project creatively addresses accessibility challenges is by proposing a landform with a sloped walkway, providing an accessible route to the second-floor performance space. Some residents remember the temporary stairs the city would deploy to provide access to the second-story performance space of the gazebo, but this option as well as a mechanical lift, are poorly aligned with universal design principles. Activating the bandstand with a summer concert series as well as adding artistic lighting through the city’s Illuminaćion Lawrence project are high priorities. While the bandstand is an old amenity, activating the structure with accessibility improvements will provide and activate a new recreational amenity to the city.
Why is this project important to the community?
The park’s softball diamonds are some of the most preferred fields to play on by softball leagues, while still playing host to volleyball games, soccer games, and basketball games. The South Common also hosts Groundwork Lawrence’s annual Kite Festival utilizing the slope along Salem St.
The playground and the bandstand are important amenities at the O’Connell South Common that require meaningful renovations. The playground has a couple of significant issues—the equipment is in disrepair, and it is too small to provide play opportunities for an extended period. The bandstand is a community landmark, but decades have passed since it hosted a concert because of accessibility challenges associated with accessing the second-floor performance space. Renovations to both amenities were identified as high priorities by residents during public outreach sessions and the City of Lawrence has applied to the Land & Water Conservation Fund to secure funds to support renovations of these amenities.
Project History
The City of Lawrence began planning for the renovations of the 11.5-acre O’Connell South Common in 2015 to address a decades-long decline in one of the city’s largest and most-utilized public spaces. The Common’s 1.1-mile network of paths and sidewalks were crumbling, and the drainage was failing. Residents expressed concern about safety when walking around the park at night because there was no lighting along the paths. The deck hockey rink had not been used for well over a decade and its 10’ tall fence with barbed wire felt oppressive. Despite the park’s poor conditions, residents remained passionate about the Common. The shade provided by the large oak trees that dominate the western two-thirds of the common provide the perfect setting for residents to gather around the playground or bandstand. The park’s active recreation amenities were well utilized—the basketball court always had a game going on and youth and adult softball and baseball leagues regularly used the fields.
Over the past six years, the city has dramatically improved the park—the paths are well lit, and the old rink has been replaced by a multi-sport court (hockey/soccer/volleyball) and a basketball court under a shade structure. After the gas disaster the softball and baseball fields were reconstructed and irrigation has been added to the soccer field located between the diamonds. These efforts have been guided by a master plan that divided the common into four distinct zones. The eastern half is home to field sports, the hill along Salem Street has remained a passive space, the bandstand is the focus of the western end near South Union Street, and active recreation amenities are concentrated along Market Street.
Transformation
