Whitpain's Centre Square Park Project Gets $225K In Funding

WHITPAIN, PA — Whitpain has received a significant state grant to help improve Centre Square Park.

The $225,000 in funding will help build pedestrian walkways, nature play equipment with safety surfacing, and ADA access to the playground, officials said.

“This project will provide inclusive play time to every child in our community,” State Rep. Liz Hanbidge said in announcing the funding. “The proposed playground will go beyond ADA accessibility and ensure that children of all abilities will have the opportunity to engage in sensory, physical, and educational experiences. I’m proud to help bring this funding home and bring families together at Centre Square Park.”

The project aims to offer children a mix of "physical and sensory play" by integrating the play environment into the surrounding woods.

It's part of a larger state initiative, Recreation for All, which aims to meet the outdoor recreation needs of all Pennsylvanians.

“Now more than ever, we have experienced the impact of outdoor recreation on our mental and physical well being,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a statement. “Pennsylvania’s new outdoor recreation plan serves as a blueprint on how we can make outdoor recreation accessible to every Pennsylvanian.”

A total of 158 community parks and related projects received a total of $23.4 million in funding.

The funds come from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which is funded by a variety of both federal and state trusts and environmental funds.