RICHMOND, VA — The Hillside Court Playground+ in Richmond, Virginia, won two awards at the 2022 Golden Hammer Awards celebration: Best Placemaking and Urban Design and the Teen Choice Award. Phase I of Playground+ includes new basketball courts, which formally opened in late fall of 2021 and honors Sharmar “Simba” Hill Jr., who was killed by a stray bullet in February 2020 while playing outside at his home in Hillside Court.

As a partner to Hanbury who led the project efforts and Fall Line who provided landscape architecture, VHB donated site and civil engineering services to the project that, when complete, will also include a playground, walking trails, and additional gathering spaces.

“I did not hesitate to say yes when approached by Nick Cooper at Hanbury to participate in this project,” said John Carty, Land Development Manager. “When a tragedy of such magnitude occurs close to home, investing in placemaking like Playground+ is important to help a community heal."

The basketball court is the first phase of a larger revitalization project that includes a new playground, a community gathering space, walking trail, and an additional public art exhibit. As part of the project, the design team enlisted the help of local artist Hamilton Glass to create a mural on the new courts. Together, more than 50 residents and community members gathered for more than 50 volunteer hours to help paint the striped design that also incorporates the apartment community’s hawk mascot.