The site of the Oliver Bush Playground was a once-bustling 30-year-old park in the devastated Lower Ninth Ward that had been used as a staging area for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers equipment and materials in the aftermath of the floods.  VergesRome Architects provided design services that helped bring a much-needed playground and gathering space to Lower Ninth Ward residents.

Site improvements included complete re-grading of the softball field, all new sidewalks and fencing, new lighting for the softball field, four tennis courts, and redesigned landscaping. All new sidewalks at the site are wheelchair-accessible.

All electrical service and site lighting were upgraded. Tennis courts were stripped to the subsurface and given new asphalt play surfaces. A freestanding restroom building was demolished and rebuilt to ADA guidelines, with all mechanical and electrical equipment relocated to a new second floor to mitigate future flood damage and loss.

The basketball pavilion was demolished along with its slab, and replaced by a spacious open shelter over two regulation-size basketball courts. A third, uncovered court was re-striped. New playground equipment was installed atop a rubber play surface, with new walkways and benches, and a new 900 SF open picnic pavilion was designed for the facility.