BROOKFIELD, Wis. - A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sept. 16 for Phase 1 of Moss Universal Park - an 18-acre destination where people of all ages and abilities can play, connect, and experience the outdoors together. The groundbreaking event took place at Wisconsin Avenue Park in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Moss Universal Park is envisioned as the first destination of its kind in the United States.

The event featured remarks from Damian Buchman, founder and executive director of The Ability Center; Dr. David Margolis, Pediatrician-in-Chief at Children's Wisconsin; and Wauwatosa Mayor David McBride. Attendees then participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking and toured the park site.

 
Unlike a traditional inclusive playground designed primarily for children, Moss Universal Park goes beyond the playground to bring together a variety of experiences designed to welcome all abilities, all ages, all the time. Phase 1 will feature first-of-their-kind play and wellness spaces, including a universal ballpark, Thrive Therapeutic and Wellness, a sensory-safe playground, the Universal Clubhouse, and an adaptive equipment garage. All elements are intentionally designed to remove barriers and create shared experiences for people of different ages and abilities. At the heart of the vision is a simple but powerful belief - everybody should have the opportunity to play together.

raSmith's site design team and The Ability Center continue to collaborate with Milwaukee County Parks, Hoppe Tree Service, the YMCA, Catalyst Construction, Kahler Slater, and GameTime to advance Moss Universal Park and implement the project's master plan. Throughout the planning process, the project team refined park features and amenities while preserving many of the site's mature hardwood trees. The team also explored grant funding opportunities with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to support future development phases.

"We are proud to be part of this inspiring development, which will have a lasting impact on the community," said Tom Mortensen, PLA, raSmith site planner/landscape architect. "It's rewarding to see The Ability Center's vision progress from early planning and design to this significant milestone and move closer to becoming a reality."

The Ability Center has secured approximately 50% of the funding needed for Phase 1 and continues to seek community and corporate support. More information on how to contribute is available at https://universalpark.org. More than a park, Moss Universal Park is being created as a destination for play, inclusion, connection, and community - where everyBODY gets to be part of the experience.

About The Ability Center
The Ability Center is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization dedicated to providing an all-inclusive fitness and recreation community for people impacted by physical limitations and everyone else. Their mission is to provide people impacted by disabilities with a daily opportunity to be fit, active and healthy, and to play. Their vision is to build communities where all abilities are provided a universal opportunity for health, wellness, and recreation. And their goal is to provide a higher quality of life for people of all abilities by transforming greater Milwaukee into the most universally inclusive recreation destination in the world. For more information about The Ability Center, visit www.tacwi.org.

About raSmith
raSmith is a multi-disciplinary engineering consulting firm established in the city of Brookfield, Wisconsin, in 1978. Our services include civil engineering, structural engineering, transportation and traffic, land surveying, geographic information systems (GIS), development management, landscape architecture, ecological services, construction services, LiDAR (3D laser scanning), and UAS (unmanned aircraft systems). We work on projects nationwide from our six locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, and California. The firm employs a staff of 220. For more information about raSmith, visit www.rasmith.com.