Friends Lucy Larsh (left) and Bethany Bower point out their favorite part of the playground, the swinging trampoline, on a mockup during a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday in Tyler.

An inclusive playground that will provide access to all children, including those with disabilities, should come to Southside Park before the year’s end.

A ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday signaled the next step forward for the project, which is now under construction. The playground will include features to increase accessibility for children of all abilities, said Amanda Storer, Tyler Area AMBUCS president and Southside Park project coordinator.

“The ground surfacing is accessible for, not only wheelchairs, but people who have difficulty walking on a normal, typical grassy surface,” she said.

Several Tyler parks already have accessible equipment, but it’s limited, she said.

“They may have a swing that is accessible for those with special needs or a play panel that you can roll a wheelchair up to, but nothing of this scope and magnitude that is accessible (and) fully all-inclusive,” she said.

Once completed, the playground will be the first of its kind in East Texas, with every aspect accessible for all children, Storer said.

“It’s really a hallmark for our area to have something of this nature,” she said.

Tyler Area AMBUCS approached the city six years ago with the idea for the playground, but started to make the most progress in the past two years with the help of then-Councilman John Nix, Storer said.

The playground has been funded by donations and with money from the Half-Cent Sales Tax Fund. While construction is underway, there are plans to add features if more donations are received, including a barrier around the playground.

The target date for completion is September or October.

“We want people to stay tuned, keep up to date,” Storer said. “We’re going to attempt to have a community build, and hopefully the weather will cooperate to where the community can come out and have some ownership over this playground.”