Custer Village is an established neighborhood located in The Villages of Benning, an active community located on the Fort Benning Military Installation. It features large grassy spaces, a beautiful pool, and a new “Mega Tot Lot” that was complete in December 2013. Located on 2.2 acres in the heart of the neighborhood, this playground includes a half-court basketball court, a hill slide, swing sets, an extravagant Playworld center piece feature, a 100 by 180-foot play/soccer field, and associated common parking. The playground is handicapped accessible and includes several large live oaks for shade.
EMC Engineering Services, Inc. was tasked by Fort Benning Family Communities, LLC to plan and design this “Mega Tot Lot”. Our scope of services included existing conditions and topographic surveying services, conceptual planning, site engineering, landscape and irrigation design services, and construction phase services. This included significant coordination with the playground supplier and our client to achieve the desired outcome of having a handicap accessible facility. It also included thoughtful incorporation of the large live oaks into the site design. Construction documents were prepared and approved by the U.S. Army prior to construction. During construction, EMC assisted the owner by providing construction staking and construction administration services. The client and U.S Army were so pleased with the final product that this “Mega Tot Lot” will serve as the prototype for other recreational facilities for housing developments at Fort Benning and possibly throughout the entire South Atlantic Division.