For those of you who haven’t seen it, a beautiful new playground has sprung from the ground behind Farragut Town Hall. It’s a space with something for everyone – an inclusive play space with ramps, slides and a merry-go-round, a swing set, a fitness station for adults and teens and a picnic pavilion. Best of all, it was a gift from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation. The town provided the space, but the health insurance company paid for construction and provided funds for replacing parts in the future.
The inviting structure may look like it’s ready for play, but final touches are still being added. The good news is that the wait is almost over. The ribbon will be cut on the new BlueCross Healthy Place at Town Hall Park at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28.
Farragut is already known for its beautiful parks and playgrounds, but this playground meets a need that Alderman Drew Burnette has wanted to fill since joining the board in 2018.
“I’ve always wanted my hometown of Farragut to have a play space that would allow children of all backgrounds, ages and stories to play together,” he says. “There are a lot of families in our area that have been waiting for a playground that could bring all of our kids together, and we’ll finally have it!”
Farragut was chosen to receive the $750,000 play space in 2020. No matching funds were required for the project. Ten municipalities will receive Healthy Place playgrounds in celebration of the company’s 75th anniversary, and the company plans to build more.
BlueCross Healthy Place grant applicants choose from six project packages based on the needs of their communities, and Farragut chose the Thrive and Play design. The new play space was constructed by Chattanooga-based PlayCore.
Farragut Parks & Rec Director Sue Stuhl applied for the playground.
“We were fortunate to have had this perfect location behind Town Hall because that was one of the application requirements. As a parks director, I can tell you that it’s an amazing thing to have a company come in and install a space like this from the ground up. It’s required very little staff time,” she says. “This is a special time for the town because we have two major park additions opening at close to the same time – the BlueCross Healthy Place and the McFee Park addition, which should be ready for use by late fall or early winter.”
Farragut Mayor Ron Williams is also excited that the town will have another welcoming public space.
“What a wonderful asset this will be to the town. I’ve had so many calls from people asking when they can take their grandkids there,” he says.
The answer to that, of course, is 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28.
Town of Farragut marketing and public relations coordinator Wendy Smith is your reliable Farragut insider.