As you may have heard, Joe Kneip Park in the city of North Las Vegas, Nevada, is undergoing a complete makeover in conjunction with NRPA’s 2015 Annual Conference. As of July 13, Joe Kneip is closed for construction — reopening on September 17, 2015, with the dedication of this vastly improved space.
Joe Kneip Park is getting more than a facelift. It is getting new guts — with the vision that these new organs will pump new life into the community. So, what can a new slide and shelter do for a park? Just like a living organism, a park is the sum of its parts. Whether an expansive wilderness park comprised of millions of natural elements contributing to its grandeur or an urban skate park with more concrete thrills than foliage — all parks are a collection of unique aspects that can make them great.
Not all parks are created (or maintained) equally. Joe Kneip Park was once a great park, as evidenced by the thoughtful installation of a hand-crafted pergola defining the picnic area, the stately Ash trees and the inclusion of open space for activities less structured. But, that was then. Today’s Joe Kneip Park has seen tough times — the pergola is rotting away, the trees have overgrown their bounds and the grass field is parched. And, the playground, shade canopy and restroom have repeatedly been the target of vandals.
This is where NRPA’s Parks Build Community comes into play. Made possible through generous donations from companies that make parks better, we are giving Joe Kneip a mega-dose of TLC and replacing its worn out parts. After two months of surgery, the new Joe Kneip is going to look and feel great, ready for another few decades of hard work for a hardworking neighborhood. Here is how and why we are doing it:
With average daytime temperatures exceeding 100 degrees during the summer, shade is more than a nicety in North Las Vegas. Shaded areas realize cooling effects of 10-15 degrees in air temperature and as much as 50 degrees in surface temperature. Shaded areas are a respite during the sweltering summer heat and allow for outdoor activities year-round. Modern woven shade fabrics can block 95 percent of UV rays, so increasing the shade coefficient at Joe Kneip was a priority. Shade ‘N Net is making the outdoor fitness zone usable even on the hottest days thanks to the donation of a 30-foot by 30 foot shade canopy structure. And, Sun Ports is helping keep the kids cool with a new canopy over the playground. The increased shade at the park will create an environment more inviting and usable to park patrons young and old.
A park is not a park without play. Of course, play takes different shapes depending on the park and user, but a requisite of a good park is good play. This is never more relevant than at Joe Kneip Park. Surrounded by a community without nearby opportunities for outdoor play, the park draws families and children from blocks away. “Providing kids a really fun space to let loose, laugh and play together was a priority for us,” says Kevin Cook, director of sales for Playworld. “The new play amenities going into Joe Kneip will be a hit with the kids, I’m sure of that” he adds. Play was the impetus in selecting Joe Kneip Park for this year’s project. The playground was beyond its functional life and the opportunity to provide a fantastic new playspace, where one was so badly needed, set this park apart. The hub of this park, the new playground, will make Joe Kneip a family-focused fun zone for the neighborhood.
Parks are a natural avenue for healthy activity and the connection between recreation and wellness is well-known. Gone are the days of envisioning outdoor fitness as only chin-up bars and inclined benches placed along a trail. Today, outdoor fitness can be more engaging and impactful than even the fanciest indoor gym. Headquartered in neighboring California, Greenfields Outdoor Fitness knows the opportunity parks provide for residents to get fit and improve health. Donating a five-piece suite of outdoor fitness equipment, Greenfields is adding an entirely new element to Joe Kneip. This outdoor fitness zone is within walking distance to hundreds of teens, adults and seniors, providing a whole new way to experience and benefit from Joe Kneip Park.
Often unnoticed by the general public, the surfacing of a park is a critical component. A multitude of textures, from loose, natural fill to grass to precise impact-attenuation materials lay underfoot, yet kids and adults often traverse a park without giving much thought to what’s under their sneakers. Made much safer thanks to FlexGround’s poured-in-place surfacing, children hanging from and climbing on the new playground will have an extra measure of protection, so parents can worry less about letting their kids be kids. One of the safest surfacing materials available, thanks to being highly engineered and durable, this colorful new surfacing may arguably be the most important aspect of this and any playground build. At the other end of the spectrum, though still highly engineered, is the new soccer field, grown exceptionally lush and resilient thanks to Mirimichi Green’s donation of premium soil enhancer. The new soccer field will transform the open field into a gathering place for the community to cheer on neighbors and friends.
The opportunity to play in water, especially in a hot climate, is an undeniable attraction for all children. Welcoming the park’s first splash pad thanks to Whitewater West, the community around Joe Kneip Park will soon have fun in the sun and refuge from the heat. Incorporating multiple spray and splash elements, the new splash pad will be a destination in and of itself. The splash pad will utilize the municipal water supply, tapping into existing services that supply the restroom. Controlled using kid-activated timers, this liquid fun will be routed back through the return system to Lake Mead, completing a large recycling loop.
Instructional, informative and important, but usually relegated to simple sheet metal affixed to post, park signage often does not receive the attention it deserves. This won’t be the case in Joe Kneip for long. Developing a collection of custom high-pressure laminate signs for the park that are durable and attractive, iZone Imaging will provide a first point of contact in helping patrons navigate the park and experience the new amenities.
Addressing one of the community’s chief complaints about Joe Kneip, the park will be made much brighter with state-of-the-art LED lighting thanks to the generosity of Musco. Targeting the basketball courts and also helping to illuminate surrounding areas of the park, the new poles and fixtures will allow residents to enjoy the park in the evening hours with its cooler temperatures. The increased nighttime visibility will also increase the community’s comfort level using the park after sunset.
Having the comforts of home in a park means more time can be spent there — relaxing, exercising and playing. Thanks to the donation of a custom restroom building from the Public Restroom Company, Joe Kneip’s facelift will include new plumbing as well. “We wanted to contribute to this important initiative and knew just how to do that,” says Chad Kaufman, vice president of sales and marketing for Public Restroom Company. “When our team visited Joe Kneip and saw the condition of the current restroom, we knew we could design a facility to provide better form and function for the community, while lessening the maintenance burden on the city,” he continues. Installing a new restroom in the park is a tremendous improvement to this public space and will be a welcome addition to the park’s exercisers, splashers and climbers.
Many people associate a park with enjoying a picnic. And with new tables, trash cans and grills from BCI Burke, this park will have a fresh new place for neighbors and families to come together for food and fun.
The 2.2 acres comprising Joe Kneip Park will soon be full of new parts. This transformation will be significant and it will take a close eye to find the old Joe Kneip after the surgery is done. But, the community gem built in 1965 will still be there — its bones are strong. The commitment made by the city of North Las Vegas and the investment of the many donors supporting this Parks Build Community project will surely return Joe Kneip to a vibrant life in a short few months. The new Joe Kneip will bring smiles to the many children and families who call this park theirs. It will be up to the community to treat this park with the respect they themselves expect — and it will be up to the city of North Las Vegas to rally and show the community how a clean and well-maintained park truly does build community.
Join fellow colleagues and the community on September 17 for the dedication of Joe Kneip Park and see for yourself the results of this year’s project. Busing will be provided from the NRPA Annual Conference.
Jimmy O’Connor is NRPA’s Director of Grants and Partnerships.