County Celebrates Opening of its First Universal Playground

This weekend, the community came together to celebrate the opening of the long-awaited Harbor Drive Wellness Park, located off Minnieville Road in Lake Ridge. Sponsored in part by Kaiser Permanente, it is the first dedicated wellness park in the county’s Occoquan District, and the County’s first park to feature universal playground and fitness equipment accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities. Following remarks, the Ribbon Cutting offered guided fitness activities, education stations, and giveaways.

“Harbor Drive Wellness Park stands as an illustration of so many of our shared values in Prince William. We are moving toward being a community in which equity isn’t simply an aspirational vision, but a realized experience for our residents regardless of their ability level,” said Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye. “As some of you may know, my son Cyrus has limited mobility. We rarely find playground equipment that he can use in public parks. I can tell you it means the world to families like mine to have a place like this, where all of our children can come together and play side-by-side.” 

In addition to the playground punctuated by whimsical flower sculptures and fitness equipment, the 2.5-acre Harbor Drive Wellness Park features meadows, a pollinator garden, and a looped walking trail. It is also an example of revitalization: This inviting recreation area was converted from an old commuter parking lot, breathing new life into an underutilized section of the mixed-use Tackett’s Mill neighborhood. A shared-use trail along Minnieville provides bike and pedestrian connections to the K-9 Gunner Dog Park, shops and resta and soon to  Kaiser Permanente’s Caton Hill Medical Center, opening in September.

“Our partner Kaiser Permanente embraced an opportunity to promote health and wellness in this neighborhood, and we are proud that Prince William County has another opportunity to create more green space in our community,” said Prince William County Parks Director Seth Hendler-Voss.

“At the core of Kaiser Permanente’s mission is our goal of improving the communities we serve. And we know that healthy communities start with access to vital resources, including safe places to work and play,” said David Harrington, Senior Director, Community Relations, Kaiser Permanente. “We are honored to work with Prince William County to bring this incredible park to fruition to allow residents to play, exercise and thrive together in this beautiful new space.”