City of Fairmont Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for $2.5M Norwood Park, a Universal Accessibility Park
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on September 05, 2024
City of Fairmont officials broke ground on the long-awaited construction of Norwood Park, which will be the state’s first universal accessibility park when completed.
The project that began as idea in 2017 is now coming to life with over $2.5 million in funding sourced from American Rescue Plan dollars, TIF 
Funds and local donations along with a property donation from Novelis Aluminum.
Funds and local donations along with a property donation from Novelis Aluminum.
“This will be the first park in the state of West Virginia that will be universally accessible. No other park in its entirety has been designed so that every feature and location is for people of all degrees of mobility, ability, and needs,” Fairmont Planning Director Shae Strait said. “Fairmont is proud to be the first and hopes to inspire other communities across the state to do more universally accessible design.”
Fairmont’s Disability Action Center has been integral to the planning of this park. Clients of the DAC joined with Fairmont officials to break ground on Thursday morning and the organization’s excitement is summarized by its director, Julie Sole.
“To say that this day has been worth the wait is a huge understatement. From the very early planning stages in 2017 to the official announcement in 2019, all the planning, research, design, funding initiatives and waiting that has happened since that time is all worth it to see this project come to fruition,” Sole said. “This project has focused on inclusion from the very onset. It is more than just an accessible playground or adaptive piece of equipment, it’s giving people of all ages and abilities the space and opportunity to move, learn, communicate, and play together in one universally accessible space.”
Sole also serves as a member of Fairmont City Council, but the park rests in the Council District of Mayor Anne Bolyard, who has been anxiously awaiting this ceremony since the first announcements.
“Norwood Park will be an important part of our city,” Bolyard said. “This is not just a park or playground. It will bring families and people together as a place that shows our commitment to the importance of inclusion in everyday activities for all abilities and multiple generations.”
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC) and its Landscape Architecture department featuring Matt Pizatella and Jim Christie handled the design of the project.
