Inclusive Chesterfield playground to close temporarily for repairs

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Just a few months after its grand reopening, an inclusive playground in Chesterfield County is temporarily closing again -- this time for repairs.

"A Playground for Katie and Friends" is a playground at Huguenot Park that is the result of a Chesterfield mother seeing a problem and stepping up to fix it.

After Jane Warrick discovered that her daughter, Katie, could not play at traditional playgrounds because they were inaccessible, she partnered with the county to create a place kids could enjoy regardless of their ability.

The resulting playground bears Katie's name and it's outfitted with specialized, accessible equipment -- even moreso following a $700,000 revitalization project. It officially reopened to visitors with its fresh new upgrades on Monday, April 21.

Less than three months later, on Thursday, July 17, Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation announced that this beloved park would be closing again, temporarily, for repair work.

"Just after we shared the love, A Playground for Katie and Friends is getting some much-deserved TLC," the county said.

From Monday, July 21 to Friday, July 25, A Playground for Katie and Friends will be closed to visitors to allow for this work to be completed.

County officials did not specify what sort of repairs need to be made. However, they did say they understand how important this park is to residents.

"We know this park is a favorite and crews will work to get the necessary repairs done as soon as possible so fun can be restored," the county said.