Playground and Amenities Near Big River Crossing

Memphians and visitors alike are enjoying the Big River Crossing pedestrian/bike path over the Mississippi River. However, other than the path itself, there are no additional amenities: no playground, no benches, no picnic tables, no shade, not even a drinking fountain. Our church, The Church of the River, is uniquely positioned to change that, by developing a playground area to make the Big River Crossing a true family-friendly destination, where children can safely play and adults can relax and find water and shade.

Immediately adjacent to the Big River Crossing path is a large grassy section of our property that we use as a play area for our Sunday school youth and for occasional after-church events. The area is fenced-in for safety, and contains a small swing set and small plastic climbing structure, as well as a large shade tree. We would like to open this playground to the public, and also make it environmentally-friendly and accessible for physically-challenged children.

Our plans include: replacing the existing play structures with larger or more diverse play equipment that would be appropriate for a variety of ages, installing a safety surface and drainage, extending water lines to install a drinking fountain, creating a concrete walkway from the Big River Crossing path through the playground, purchasing benches and picnic tables, and planting new trees and foliage. But while we have the available space on our property, and the desire to share it, we are just a small congregation and, therefore, do not have the funds to make all the necessary improvements. While our congregation will fund many  of these improvements, we are also seeking donations and grants from other sources. Through this IOBY project, we are hoping to raise enough funds to extend the water lines and install a public drinking fountain, and create a "tot play" area especially for toddlers. (The playground would be reserved for church use only on Sunday mornings from 10am to noon, and occasionally during special outdoor church events.)

We have engaged the services of a landscape architect, Ritche Smith Associates, to help plan the playground. The next step is to have a topographical survey done. Once fund-raising is completed, we will begin the construction of a concrete pathway and installation of a drinking fountain.

We believe this playground would benefit the quality of life not only for families who live in the South Main/Downtown area, but also families from across Shelby County who visit the Big River Crossing, and adults who walk, run or bike across the bridge. Our church's desire is to be a "good neighbor" to all.