A Place Of Joy: Stamford Unveils New Playground At Courtland Park

STAMFORD, CT — After most of Wednesday was dreary and overcast, bright blue skies emerged just in time for the city of Stamford to unveil the new playground at Courtland Park, located at 39 Courtland Ave., in Glenbrook.

Laughter could be heard and smiles were seen from dozens of children, who skipped the ribbon-cutting ceremony and went straight into the playground.

Mayor Caroline Simmons thanked all those in attendance who helped make the project come to fruition. The old playground essentially had just a swing set and a slide, and the equipment was not accessible for infants or those with varying physical abilities.

Simmons said the new playground "is a place of joy" for kids.

"As COVID showed us, these public gathering spaces are so important to bring our community together. This is a place for moms and parents to gather with kids, this is a place for kids to have joy and spark creativity and imaginative play. We also know playgrounds are so important for child development for fine motor skills and gross motor skills that they get from climbing and swinging," Simmons said.

"For so many reasons we're so grateful for this playground and all of the benefits it will provide for our community. We look forward to seeing all the joy that is sparked for years to come on this playground," she added.

The project cost just under $600,000, said city of Stamford engineer Lou Casolo.

Because the former playground was so small, the site could not accommodate the amount of people living in the neighborhood. Casolo noted that according to the Trust for Public Land, there are 5,621 people and 1,300 children within a 10-minute walk of Courtland Park.

"We kind of knew that going in, this place was going to be important to redevelop," Casolo said.

A new poured-in playground surface, which has some cushion and is weatherproofed, covers 7,500-square-feet, the same as the new playground that was installed at Chestnut Hill Park in North Stamford.

The new site features a tall net climber, swing set, see-saw, a tot play area, and other structures to explore and climb on. There is also a sensory play area with musical elements.

The playground was designed by Airis Land Studio out of Bridgeport, and the contractor was Creative Landscape Designs from Bethlehem, CT.

Kompan, a commercial playground equipment manufacturer, supplied the materials.

"The city wanted a space that was really inclusive and had a wide range of activities for not only a high capacity of kids, but children of different backgrounds and physical abilities," said Summer Berube, a territory manager with Kompan. "We look at incorporating as many different types of activities as possible. This playground really checks the box as far as spinning, climbing, and swaying."

At 5 acres, Courtland Park is also home to the Stamford Dog Park. Casolo said that a Parks and Recreation Department survey indicated that a new playground was desired, and the project was funded last winter. Construction began earlier this past summer.

If Wednesday was any indication, the new playground will attract many families and children of all ages for years to come.

"Not a lot of people prior to this would be attracted to come in here. We had a very antiquated limited playground," Casolo said. "It looks like people are coming out now."