Columbus Breaks Ground on 8.9-Acre Greenleaf Park

Columbus officials broke ground on Greenleaf Park Thursday morning on the city's southwest side. The 8.9-acre site is located on Brown Road and will include an accessible playground, sports fields and courts, a walking path, an open-air shelter, and a parking lot.

The city purchased the land in 2023. Greenleaf Park serves as a partial replacement for upgrades previously promised to nearby McCoy Park. Originally, the city planned to transform McCoy into a therapeutic recreation space for people with disabilities. That plan has shifted, with McCoy now slated to house a training facility for a National Women's Soccer League team.

Some residents in southwest Columbus have expressed dissatisfaction with the change. Greenleaf Park sits approximately 2.5 miles from McCoy Park, and some community members argue the new location is not accessible to everyone. Kym Douglas, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, stated that Greenleaf is part of a larger plan derived from area feedback.

"We plan to engage heavily with the folks who make up this community because we know that the community knows best what they need," Douglas said.

Mayor Andrew Ginther described the larger plan for accessible southwest recreation as a $35 million investment. "We know that for far too long southwest Columbus has not had the level of park and recreation space that its residents deserve. We heard that message loud and clear and we made a commitment to work alongside neighbors to make a change," Ginther said.

Detailed designs for Greenleaf Park are expected to be finalized by early 2027, with construction set to conclude by the end of that year. McCoy Park will eventually receive adaptive sports fields and playgrounds open to the public, while Berliner Sports Park is expected to gain an adaptive soccer field.