GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Parks and splash pads in Grand Rapids will reopen June 8th.
Parents and people looking to get outdoors around the city are celebrating as phase 1 of the city's re-entry plan welcomes them back to much of the public spaces in Grand Rapids.
“We are pleased to be able to reopen our splash pads and many of our athletic amenities,” said David Marquardt, the City’s parks and recreation director. “We encourage residents to enjoy our 14 splash pads – with safe physical distancing – to help stay cool this summer."
Some amenities are still closed until further notice like bathrooms, enclosed shelters, community gyms, and drinking fountains. Unfortunately, the pools at Briggs Park, Richmond Park, and Martin Luther King Park will not be open for the 2020 season.
“We are disappointed that we cannot open our pools this summer. This decision was not made lightly,” Marquardt said. “The health and safety of our residents and the employees that staff our pools is of highest priority. The continued CDC guidance on physical distancing and avoiding common touch point surfaces is particularly challenging in a pool setting.”
Grand Rapids city officials still asks everyone to adhere to social distancing protocols while in public and stay home if anyone in their group feels sick.
