Community

Brown Park Expansion In Roseburg Aims To Create Inclusive Play Space For All Abilities

Roseburg’s Brown Park is being transformed into a larger, inclusive playground for children of all abilities. The $1.1 million project will more than double the park’s size and add modern accessible features, with completion expected by late spring or early summer.

Construction is underway at Brown Park in Roseburg, where a $1.1 million expansion will bring a larger, more inclusive playground for children of all abilities. (Image courtesy of the City of Roseburg)

A long-planned transformation is taking shape at Brown Park, where Roseburg is building a larger and more accessible playground designed for children of all abilities. The estimated $1.1 million project will more than double the size of one of the city’s oldest parks and replace aging 1970s-era equipment with modern, inclusive play features.

Located at Harvard Avenue and Francis Street, Brown Park is being reworked to better serve both children and caregivers, including those who use mobility devices. The redesigned park will be oriented away from busy Harvard Avenue and toward Francis Street, where it will include new sidewalks and three ADA-compliant off-street parking spaces.

Brown Park Location - Behind the Roseburg Fire Department Station #2

The project was made possible through a mix of community support, grant funding and city labor. Roseburg secured a $667,000 Local Government Grant funded through the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, while a local couple donated $150,000 to help the city purchase an adjacent 0.55-acre property needed for the expansion. That added land will enlarge the existing 0.3-acre park.

Much of the construction and site work is being handled by Roseburg Parks and Public Works staff, whose labor will make up a large share of the city’s required grant match. City crews are helping oversee design work, install infrastructure and remove the park’s old equipment as the new play area comes together.

When finished, the park will feature separate play areas for younger children and older kids, along with accessible routes and equipment meant to encourage shared play. Planned features include sensory panels, an inclusive swing, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, a multi-seat teeter-totter, shaded picnic space, benches, artificial turf surfacing and landscaped natural areas.

Roseburg Parks and Recreation Program Manager Val Ligon said the goal is to make sure no child feels excluded. The original shaded portion of the park will remain in place for longtime users who have enjoyed it as a quiet gathering space. City officials expect the renewed Brown Park to open by late spring or early summer.