Mayor Bill Haslam, City Council members and South Haven neighborhood residents cut a ribbon today to celebrate the "new and improved" Mary James Park.

"The addition of new playground equipment, benches and picnic tables will create a place where children can play safely and neighbors get to know each other better," Mayor Haslam said. "Residents here take great pride in this park and work hard to maintain it, and I'm glad the city was able to help through the addition of these amenities."

The new playground is designed for children ages five to 12 and includes two slides, a rock-climbing wall and swings. In addition, the park features new benches, picnic tables, grill, fire ring and a bike rack. The South Haven Neighborhood Association worked with the East Tennessee Community Design Center and Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon to complete a master plan for the park two years ago, according to Linda Rust, the association's president. "This project has been three years in the making, and really proves how important it is for neighborhoods to work today for good things tomorrow," Rust said. "We appreciate the City of Knoxville's support in helping us to make our neighborhood an even better place for families." Funding for the nearly $50,000 in park improvements came from federal Community Development Block Grants administered by the City. Staff from the City's Public Service Division graded and prepared the site for construction.