What’s happening: In the days leading up to the Thanksgiving break, representatives from the City of Memphis and the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the construction of the BlueCross Healthy Place at Foote Park. Now, the BlueCross Foundation is sharing its plans for the park with High Ground readers.

What it is: The BlueCross Healthy Places program aims to bolster neighborhoods across the state by building parks that foster community and healthy activity. There have been 17 such parks built in Tennessee thus far, with $34.8 million so far invested. This latest project at Foote Park will see the BlueCross Foundation invest $650,000 in construction costs and materials with an additional $100,000 reserved in a maintenance fund. It’s the second such activity center in Memphis, with the first having been built in 2019 at David Carnes Park in Whitehaven.

[Related: Read “Revamped Whitehaven park will be space for health, fun and neighborhood history” on High Ground News.]

Foote Park is located at 521 Vance Park Place in Memphis.What they’re building: The new activity center will feature four distinct areas built specifically for children from 2 to 5 years old, children from 5 to 12 years old, a fitness station for teenagers and adults, and a swing set. It’s dubbed the “Family Fun” package, where adults can utilize the five unique activities at the fitness station while they keep an eye on their children enjoying the playscapes and swings. Additional features include benches, bike racks, and more.

Why it’s important: “The park will serve as an important point of connection tying South City assets, such as the I Am a Man Plaza, to the downtown Memphis area,” the Memphis Housing Authority wrote in their application for the BlueCross Healthy Place grant. “The Family Fun project footprint will activate the existing green space, helping to further transform once neglected, blighted grounds to a gathering and recreational space for residents and neighborhood visitors.”

Foote Park is located at 521 Vance Park Place in Memphis. Learn more about the BlueCross Health Place program online.