Roanoke Park is one of several Mercer Island neighborhood parks we’re partnering with the City of Mercer Island to renew, as aging play equipment reaches the end of its useful life. Here, the project focused on creating a more accessible playground where children of all abilities can explore, learn, and connect with each other.

Prior to improvements, Roanoke Park had no accessible route from arrival to the play area and other park amenities. Our team improved access to and through the playground by introducing an accessible walkway into the play area and utilizing pour-in-place safety surfacing around the equipment, while preserving the mature trees surrounding the site. The project included significant re-grading to find the right balance to mitigate slopes, protect trees, and achieve ADA requirements for surfacing. The layout and equipment provide varied opportunities for children of all abilities within a shared play environment that prioritizes equitable, flexible, and intuitive experiences.

Early outreach surveys presented the community with specific play equipment and programming options, allowing feedback on play styles and preferences to translate directly into a focused design approach. The new equipment introduces greater variety to Mercer Island’s playgrounds and was selected with long-term stewardship in mind. Individual components can be replaced as they wear or fail rather than requiring replacement of entire structures, allowing the City to maintain the playground incrementally and extend the equipment’s useful life.