Treasure chests, a pirate ship, sea turtles, mermaids, even an abandoned Mission make up a new multi-generational park for children of all abilities.
It’s designed after 3-year-old Mitchell Chang’s whimsical dream and imagination, soon available for San Antonio area children to enjoy.
The long-awaited pirate-themed inclusive playground, Mitchell’s Landing, will open to the public Nov. 30 after its grand opening at Classen-Steubing Ranch Park at 10 a.m.
The opening has been delayed several times due to pandemic-related shortages, changes in design plans and special additions like shade structures covering half the park.
The buccaneer playground honors Mitchell, who died after drowning at Love To Swim, a Stone Oak swimming school in 2018.
The swimming school was hosting its monthly date night, which encouraged students’ parents to drop them off. Mitchell had been underwater for 10 minutes before the instructor found him unconscious. He died hours later at a hospital.
At the time of his drowning, the instructor to student ratio was one to 16, and an automated external defibrillator device was not on site to help avoid prolonged neurological damage.
The school discontinued its date night events before it ultimately closed. It was replaced by the Emler Swim School of San Antonio, which is not affiliated with the latter.
But that’s not what his mother, April Chang, wants people to remember when they visit Mitchell’s Landing.
She and her husband, local anaesthesiologist Dr. Marvin Chang, created a positive response to what had been her family’s worst nightmare by establishing the Mitchell Chang Foundation to carry on Mitchell’s spirit and memory.
That’s how the concept for Mitchell’s Landing began; The park is pirate-themed because Mitchell wanted to be a pirate when he grew up.
The $3 million public park was funded by both the Mitchell Chang Foundation and the city of San Antonio’s Parks department budget.
Mitchell’s own handwriting spells “Mitchell’s Landing” under two big pirate swords, welcoming families entering the park. Hidden details, including three snails (which he loved) and flowers (including orange ones, his favorite color) were added to exude a vibrant energy of life and happiness, Chang said.
Mitchell’s sibling, Tristan Chang, who never got to meet him, ran across the acre filled with different play areas of the park.
He jumped from the beach, where he swung on a hammock under two palm trees, down a roller slide with a safety bench, perfect for children to set aside assisted walking devices and who don’t have upper body strength to enjoy ADA playground slides.
He also ran through exploration rocks which spell H-E-B at an aerial view, through the mermaid lagoon and from the abandoned Mission to the pirate ship.
“I don’t want people to come here and think of him. Come here and have happy memories. Have fun,” she said on Thursday, eyes filling with tears as she looked at the nearly-complete park under a cloudy sky.
Mitchell would have been 10 now, Chang said.
She described not thinking of material things when she remembers him; She travels back to the fun moments, like when he played with his hooks and swords.
Those are the kind of fun memories she said she hopes the park creates for San Antonio families when it opens.
Tile art along a braille wall still needs to be completed, and some ground cover will be redone by next week, she said, as well as smaller touch ups like replacing missing pieces on equipment.
The park is multigenerational, meaning kids of different ages can find it fun and intriguing. Play structures have different challenge levels, including an inclusive scavenger hunt that encourages cognitive development and collaborative play, and other equipment support sensory stimulation, like the rockin’ robin egg, a seat that can calm anxiety when overstimulated or overwhelmed.
All playground equipment sits on a cushioned ground covering that helps prevent major head injury, and half of the park under colorful shade structures that resemble large blue, green and white umbrellas or floating kites.
The Changs are working with Rep. Josie Garcia to re-introduce the Mitchell Chang Swim Safety Act in the next legislative session to create safety standards at swim schools in Texas.
Mitchell’s death exposed a need for minimum safety standards in learn-to-swim environments, Chang said. Swim schools in Texas operate with no oversight from any governmental body, making it impossible for parents to know if swim schools are safe for their kids.
“In the center where Mitchell drowned, every [business] had regulations and licensing requirements,” Chang said.
The Changs want legislation to require swim instructors be CPR certified, have AEDs and know how to use it, establish a searchable database to inform parents of violations and licenses a facility has, and require licensing, student-to-instructor ratios, and criminal background checks for employees who work with students.
Garcia, who supported the bill in the last legislative session, said the bill she plans to file soon will add safety requirements and certification to work with children around water.
“That’s just a huge disconnect at the base of any program,” she said. For now, she’s back at the drawing board.
“Everybody should have basic rescue techniques, everybody should know how to properly administer CPR, there should be actions in place for process improvements.”
Garcia said the country is witnessing a national partisan divide and that its going to be important to avoid that in Texas to put measures in place that protect children.
The Mitchell Chang Foundation also plans to launch a free and bilingual water safety coloring book to teach families from lower-socioeconomic backgrounds about safety, since most don’t have the resources for swim lessons or schools.