Popular Madison playground getting updates to be more accessible for people with disabilities

MADISON, Ala. (WAFF) - Kids Kingdom in Madison will see some big changes soon.

Madison Mayor Paul Finley says the city has two big goals with this project. The first, give it a complete renovation because it’s getting old, it’s been open for 25 years. Second, they want to make it more accessible to kids with disabilites.

The mayor says the Madison City Disability Advocacy Board is leading the charge on this renovation. Those members are getting together to give recommendations on how more parents with disabilities can get in and out of the park all while making it easier for kids with disabilities to play in it.

Construction is set to start in late winter or early spring 2022 according to the mayor. He acknowledges that supply chain issues may mean shifting deadlines because the city just ordered some new equipment and there’s already a backup in getting it shipped out.

He says the construction should only take a couple of weeks, so kids won’t have to stay away for long. He does expect it to open in spring at the latest. “It was kind of the first big project that happened out in Madison and it was done with community support. I can remember all they let me have was a wheelbarrow, no power tools, to move the mulch back and forth. My kids used that, we had birthday parties there. We went to Dublin Park to play disc golf. It’s just where everyone comes through in the city of Madison.”

That renovation will be about $700,000. He says Madison Visionary Partners raised $200,000 so far. The mayor says he hopes donations will cover the whole thing, but in case they don’t the city will cover the remaining costs.

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