LAWRENCEVILLE — The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners voted on Tuesday to spend $2.55 million in SPLOST funds to do improvements to George Pierce Park located off of Buford Highway in Suwanee.  One of the major improvements will be the addition of a playground that will include features for children with disabilities.

“It’s important that our parks be accessible to everyone,” said District 1 Commissioner Jace Brooks. “This allows kids with disabilities to play with other kids, have fun, and be included. I’ll be very excited to see these improvements when they’re finished.”

The playground will feature a play-house area, ADA-accessible swings, a merry-go-round, and a wheelchair-accessible sidewalk that will lead kids to a bridge that goes to the top of the playground tower so that kids in wheelchairs can see all that is going on below them in the playground.  If those features were not enough, from the tower kids can have fun on the slides.

All of the improvements including the playground are being done in the easternmost part of the park near the adult softball fields.  Restrooms and the playground which is connected to a wheelchair-accessible wooden trail loop that offers beautiful views of a wooded stream valley.  Also in the plans for the park is the renovation to the existing picnic pavilion.

According to Community Services Director Tina Fleming, this area will serve as the trailhead for the southern and future eastern sections of the Ivy Creek Greenway.

The county anticipates the project to start this summer and wrap up in the summer of 2021.

— Staff Reports