Project Highlight: Carol Ann Cross Park

In a growing community, families turn to parks. They are public spaces that allow for great play, family gathering, and engagement, so it is important to ensure those parks are available to everyone. The City of Fort Smith was looking to make long lasting improvements to a local staple: Carol Ann Cross Park. Located near Wildcat Mountain Lake and trail systems, this park was a highly visited area being one of four city parks. McClelland Consulting Engineers designed thoughtful improvements to create a space that would feel naturally inclusive so Carol Ann Cross Park could continue to serve it's community.

From conception to construction, accessibility was treated as a fundamental design aspect instead of merely an accommodation. Accessibility informed layout decisions, circulation, and overall playground usability. The completed project resulted in a fully accessible playground designed to accommodate children of all abilities. This shift reflects a deliberate and inclusive approach to public infrastructure that prioritizes access for all while meeting the city’s functional and aesthetic goals. This integrated approach ensured that children of all abilities could engage with the space safely and independently.

A key feature of the park’s improvements was the incorporation of new play structures produced by LSI Play Structures, LLC—a company specializing in cast-in-place custom concrete play structures. In addition to improving accessibility, these structures provide a durable, low-maintenance solution suited for a high-use parks. The city of Fort Smith then decided to include a Wildcat statue to honor the adjacent Wildcat Mountain lake.

By making ADA accessibility a core design driver, the project serves as a model for future parks and playgrounds seeking to balance inclusivity, constructability, and long-term performance. The improvements ensure that all children, including those with disabilities, have equal access to a safe, inclusive, and engaging play environment, reinforcing the role of engineering in advancing social equity through thoughtful design.

Since completion in 2024, the playground has experienced a significant increase in use, with daily foot traffic exceeding in a day what the park previously saw over the course of an entire week. The introduction of more challenging and engaging play structures encourages physical activity and supports healthy childhood development. As a free and accessible community amenity, the Carol Ann Cross Park serves as a gathering place for residents of all abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds, strengthening social connections and reinforcing the park’s role as a community hub.

From an engineering standpoint, the project faced several hardships due to poor soil conditions and its proximity to Wildcat Mountain Lake. Additionally, stormwater runoff flowed down a wooded hillside toward the site, creating drainage challenges that required careful consideration. To address these conditions, the site was designed to divert stormwater away from the playground and into the existing lake, ensuring proper drainage for long-term site stability.

Overall, the Carol Ann Cross Park Playground Improvements demonstrate how thoughtful engineering, collaborative effort, and inclusive design can deliver lasting value to both the client and the community. By addressing accessibility, site complexity, sustainability within a single project, the playground serves as a strong example of how engineering solutions can enhance public spaces and improve quality of life.