The playground at Ashburnham Park in Gahanna is open again, and it is twice the size it used to be. The City of Gahanna announced the reopening Wednesday, calling the new play space officially open after a project that cost roughly $237,000.
According to the City Of Gahanna, Ohio - Government on Facebook, the rebuilt playground blends traditional favorites with new, more challenging play elements meant for kids of all ages, along with nature-inspired touches designed to complement the park's surroundings. The city says the investment reflects its broader commitment to improving parks and recreational spaces throughout Gahanna, a push it traces back to 2020.
A Design Rooted in Resident Feedback
The design process leaned heavily on input from people who actually live near the park. The New Albany-Gahanna Beacon reported that the city mailed postcards to 304 households in the Villages of Gahanna neighborhood seeking feedback before construction began, and that the new facility's colors and layout draw on the park's natural surroundings.
The same outlet reported the project as a $237,000 undertaking, with construction breaking ground Monday, September 28. The Beacon's report noted the playground area at 1245 Ashburnham Drive was expected to stay closed through the end of October, with completion dependent on weather and no ribbon-cutting date announced as of that report. The city's own Wednesday announcement confirms that target held, with the new playground officially open.
Part of a Larger Parks Push
Ashburnham Park is one piece of a wider rebuilding effort across Gahanna's park system. CityScene Magazine reported that the city planned to completely rebuild two more playgrounds in 2026 — one at Friendship Park and one at Ashburnham Park — with new equipment selected based on resident input, part of a commitment reaffirmed through Gahanna's 2023 Comprehensive Parks Master Plan.
Accounts of the city's overall rebuilding tally vary. CityScene reported that four of the city's 17 playgrounds had been completely rebuilt as of its report, while Gahanna's own Facebook announcement Wednesday says the city has rebuilt five playgrounds since 2020. Hoodline previously sought input on Friendship Park, where the city had said it rebuilt four playgrounds over the prior five years while asking residents for their vision of that park's makeover ahead of a September 19 deadline.
Friendship Park Still to Come
Ashburnham Park's rebuild was always meant to run alongside a similar project at Friendship Park. Citizen Portal reported that Gahanna's parks director requested contracts to replace both playgrounds, with a proposed agreement for the Ashburnham Park work going to Midstates Recreation and a separate proposed contract for Friendship Park going to PlayCore, doing business as GameTime. The same report noted the Parks & Recreation Foundation pledged $25,000 toward the Friendship Park project specifically.
With Ashburnham Park now finished, attention turns to whether Friendship Park follows a similar timeline. For now, Gahanna families in the Villages of Gahanna neighborhood have a bigger, reworked playground to explore, built around the same nature-inspired, resident-driven approach the city says will continue to guide its parks investments.
