New playground planned for Durham's McDougald Terrace
Three groups are coming together to build a playground in Durham's McDougald Terrace community.
Durham Parks and Recreation has partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and nonprofit Kaboom! to redesign the play space at Burton Park, an area the city that has had a high rate of violent crime.
The playground will be inspired by children in the community, who in February submitted drawings of what their dream playground would look like. The new play space will include a variety of swings, multiple slides and "inclusive play panel elements," according to a press release.
Blue Cross NC has partnered with Kaboom! to build a total of 15 playspaces across the state. Construction on the Durham playground is already underway, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for 4 p.m. on Thursday.
Burton Park is located at 1501 Sima Ave.
Last year, Jim Stuit, the Durham Police Department's gang reduction strategy manager, told the city council that there are at least 2,050 gang members in the city. Stuit also expressed concern that children are joining gangs at younger ages -- even younger than age 12.
Stuit said data from 2020 shows children in Durham are four times more likely to be in a gang or in association compared to their statewide peers.
A crime assessment released in February recommended law enforcement and city officials focus on 12 neighborhoods with high rates of violent crime – including the area around McDougald Terrace and Burton Park.
