CINCINNATI — Less than one year after a fire destroyed the 1000 Hands Playground at Sawyer Point and severely damaged the Big Mac Bridge, plans for a new playground are forming.
Cincinnati Parks announced on Thursday it has chosen Midstates Recreation as the contractor to design and build a replacement for the 1000 Hands Playground. Cincinnati Parks said it chose that firm in part because they are the exclusive provider of Earthscape, which creates natural, creatively-designed playgrounds.
This playground will not be built under the I-471 bridge, Cincinnati Parks said.
Instead, it will be east of the bridge, to the south of the volleyball courts and pickleball and tennis courts. The chosen location will give them between 11,000 and 14,000 square feet in which to build the new play area.
"This is about resiliency," said Jason Barron, director of Cincinnati Parks, in a press release. "We intend to bring a truly iconic playground back to Sawyer Point that will be home to countless future adventures for Cincinnati kids."
According to Cincinnati Parks, the plan is to build a custom, hand-built structure and the timeline for its completion hasn't been set yet, though the agency said it would like to complete the build "as quickly as possible" without sacrificing quality.
The project is estimated to cost between $1.9 million and $2.1 million that will come from a combination of public and private dollars that still need to be nailed down. Cincinnati Parks said donations from anyone interested in helping to fund the new playground can be made to the Cincinnati Parks Foundation.
Cincinnati Parks is also looking for feedback from community members before the formal design of the playground begins; anyone who wants to weigh in on the project's themes or any ideas for it can fill out a survey online.
"There's no doubt the fire was a gut punch," said Barron. "But now we have an amazing opportunity to build something truly iconic that kids will be begging their parents to visit again and again."
On November 1, 2024, at around 3:30 a.m., the 21-year-old 1000 Hands Playground was allegedly set on fire.
In December, Zachary Stumpf and Terry Stiles were each indicted by a grand jury on three counts of aggravated arson and one count of arson. Kaitlen Hall and James Hamilton were each indicted on two counts of obstruction of justice.
The fire burned so hot and so high that it caused severe damage to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge that carries I-471 over the Ohio River. It took several hours for crews to declare the bridge fire completely under control and months to repair the bridge and re-open the highway. The bridge fully re-opened to traffic in February, ahead of its initially planned repair schedule.
Officials have still not released anything about the investigation into what specifically caused the fire.
