Community celebrates Cirque Park Inclusive Playground in University Place

University Place residents and public commenters gathered to mark the completion of the Cirque Park Inclusive Playground, a community-driven project intended to give children with disabilities full access to play alongside their peers.

Blake Guyen, who addressed the University Place City Council, called the new play space "a great asset to our community," and said organizers were "excited to get the shovels on the ground" to start construction. Residents and donors joined families at a celebration that city speakers described as the culmination of months of planning and on-site work.

The playground was developed through a community-driven process, speakers said, with a volunteer planning committee that reviewed equipment and features to meet a range of needs. A parent who served on the committee said the site includes added parking, ramps, safe padding and new ADA-accessible restrooms to support families who need accessible facilities.

Parents at the event described the playground’s benefits in practical terms. One parent said his 6-year-old son, Corbin, who the parent said has a rare genetic condition known as FOXG1 syndrome, can use the site’s equipment to work on balance and core strength while playing with peers. "He's got equal access to it as everybody else," the parent said, describing the merry-go-round and other equipment as useful for both therapy and social interaction.

Speakers emphasized the project's inclusive intention. A resident at the event noted that about "15 percent of all of our children qualify as disabled," arguing many playgrounds exclude those children unless designed for inclusion. Organizers said first-hand demonstrations of accessible features during the celebration underscored the playground’s practical utility for children with a range of abilities.

No formal council action was recorded in the transcript of the event; speakers framed the day as a community celebration and demonstration of completed work. The gathering concluded with residents expressing pride that the project moved from community idea to built amenity.

The University Place City Council and volunteers who participated in planning did not state further next steps in the provided remarks; organizers and families said the site is open for use.