Makeover planned for 50-year-old township landmark

Effort underway for Miracle League field

A 50-year-old landmark in Moon is getting a makeover, and the entire community is invited to participate.

Renovations to the 300-acre Moon Park along Ewing Road are expected to begin in April with new play and recreation areas and be completed by fall, said Bob Brozovich, township parks and recreation director.

The playground and several other areas of the park will be closed during renovations.

The new layout, which includes play and recreation areas for all ages, was designed by HRG Engineering.

The $1.4 million budget includes grants from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County. Grants and donations from corporate sponsors and individuals also are helping to finance the project.

“We will have more for all ages to do, along with more walkways and seating,” Mr. Brozovich said. “We will be able to to have outdoor fitness classes in the fitness area, and the splash pad brings a water feature to the park.”

The township will be able to have weekly programs in an outdoor classroom in the nature play area, and officials anticipate the Friday Fun Nights will attract more people, he said.

With new playgrounds being built, the current playground equipment will be refurbished and moved to picnic areas that need it.

The widely recognized rocketship will be kept as a historic piece, and the stagecoach will be relocated to Olson Park, which was a stagecoach stop at one time.

The township met the criteria

for the $250,000 state DCNR grant because of the project’s sustainability, said Amy Ottaviani, township community development and sponsorship coordinator.

The park, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, was inaccessible to a large portion of the community. “You couldn’t get down there in a wheelchair or with a baby buggy,” Ms. Ottaviani said.

The new layout will include “beautiful little spaces,” she said, adding that parents using the fitness area will be able to see their young children at the playgrounds.

Along with areas for different ages and activities, the remodeled park will include a 9,500-square-foot area designed to meet the needs of handicapped visitors.

“Our goal is to provide a play area where families, all families can come and play and be safe,” said Mike Magulik, who is leading an effort to build a Miracle League field at the site.

Miracle League, which provides sports opportunities for handicapped athletes, has more than 240 fields throughout the U.S. and Canada. Miracle League fields in the region are located in Cranberry, Upper St. Clair and Murrysville.

Mr. Magulik and his wife, Christine, have a young son with a rare genetic disorder, and were looking for an opportunity to help other families. The timing of park renovations provided that, he said.

The league’s first season there is targeted for spring 2019.

The field will be used primarily as a baseball field and will have a special surface which will accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.

The field complex, which is being funded by donations, also will include a space-themed adaptive playground, a walking trail and handicapped-accessible restrooms. There also will be a 100-space parking lot near the park entrance.

The project has received support from some major donors, including Pirates Charities and RBVETCo., former Steeler Rocky Bleier’s veteran-owned general contracting company. Robert Morris University also will be a strategic partner.