HUNTSVILLE – Wellstone gained a new area of respite and relaxation at its South Huntsville campus last week with one of Downtown Huntsville Inc.’s repurposed pop-up parks.

After 10 years of working with Turner Construction and Nola/VanPeursem Architects to convert parking spaces into miniature parks where visitors can sit, swing, and play, DHI decided to remove them from the city’s center.

Turner Construction is repurposing the miniature parks by donating them to organizations such as Wellstone. This one features four swings and two benches and is open in the greenspace area.

“It’s a great concept,” said Jeremy Blair, WellStone CEO. “It’s a fun feature to have on campus and we’ve already seen employees outside enjoying the park.”

According to research reported by Healthline in 2022, just a few minutes outside is proven to reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure and heart rate, increase Vitamin D, improve sleep quality and duration, improve cognition and creativity, and improve relationships.

The benefits help the center facilitate its mission, which is centered on mental health.

“We’re glad we had the space for it and we thank Turner for thinking of us,” Blair said.