Warren County Board of Realtors members are pictured spreading mulch recently at Lacy Park in Warren.

A new park in Warren provides some unique opportunities for children with special needs, thanks to additional funding provided by the Warren County Board of Realtors.

The Lacy Park Multi-Sensory Inclusive Playground will now offer children with special needs a playground with equipment designed for them.

The Warren County Board of Realtors received a $4,500 Placemaking Grant from the National Association of Realtors to help transform Lacy Park into a more inclusive space for the community and special needs children to enjoy. The grant is intended to help realtor associations partner with other organizations to plan, organize, implement and maintain placemaking projects in their communities.

In addition, the local realtor board received a $500 Century of Service grant from the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors for the project. The Century of Service grants are being given to local realtor associations in celebration of the state association’s 100th anniversary.

The Warren County Board of Realtors contributed the grant monies to help pay for the new amenities at Lacy Park, which include off-street ADA-compliant parking, ADA-compliant bathrooms, a new pavilion and a connectivity path to all areas of the park. In addition, the park includes new playground equipment tailored for children on the special-needs spectrum to help to create a relaxing and calming effect, activating various perception areas for those who suffer from neurological impairments. The park is now wheelchair accessible and includes a wheelchair swing.

The Warren County Board of Realtors is partnering with the city of Warren, the Rotary Club of Warren, the Warren County Development Association and other organizations on this project, who have also made this project possible.

Realtors from Warren County volunteered their time recently to help spread mulch and other tasks at the park.

“Our realtor members were pleased to assist with this worthy community project and help provide some additional needed funding,” said Julie French, president of the Warren County Board of Realtors. “Realtors live, work and volunteer in our communities and take immense pride in working to improve them. Placemaking can help foster healthier, more social and economically viable communities. This grant will allow us to address the needed enhancement and revitalization in Lacy Park and create a place where friends and neighbors can come together.”

For more information on Lacy Park Multi-Sensory Inclusive Playground in Warren, visit its Facebook page. To find out more about National Association of Realtors placemaking program visit, realtoractioncenter.org/Placemaking.