Terry Saban, Northport Officials Dedicate New Playground In Civitan Park

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Terry Saban and Northport city officials gathered Friday to cut the ribbon on a new Nick's Kids Foundation playground in Civitan Park.

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Terry Saban praised the City Council for prioritizing park space and said this was the fourth park the foundation has helped fund.

"I have four sisters, and we talk often," she said. "I feel like Northport is Tuscaloosa's sister and we should always support and help each other. I think Nick's Kids really doesn't deserve all of the accolades. Rather, it should go to the City Council, who made the decision that this playground is important for the community."

She went on to say the Saban family views parks as an opportunity for children to disconnect from devices and learn in the world around them.

"You get the children away from the TV, from their phones, from their laptops, from the video games, and you get them out here for exercise in the fresh air," she said. "And they learn to socialize. They learn to problem-solve. They learn to share."

The Saban family has also been busy with their work planning the Saban Center — a state-of-the-art STEM and the arts campus that will feature community partners with Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre and IGNITE, formerly Children's Hands-On Museum, along with public-private educational partnerships spanning the state of Alabama.

Terry Saban said construction work on the project is set to begin next month, which follows several years of planning and fundraising.

Located on the former site of the Tuscaloosa News building near the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater, Patch previously reported the Saban Center is expected to open in 2027.

"It will be one of the STEM centers for our state of Alabama, where children can come and enjoy displays and programming," she said. "We're going to be teaching STEM science, technology, engineering, math with displays and summer programming, bringing teachers and bringing classes to learn state-of-the-art science and technology."

Northport City Council President Christy Bobo thanked the Saban family for their support and said the new playground represented "more than just slides and swings."

"It's a place that's been built with love, community spirit, and a shared commitment to children," Bobo said. "As someone who had the privilege of helping Miss Terry Saban and Coach Nick Saban launch the Nick's Kids Foundation many years ago, it's been incredibly meaningful to me to see that partnership come full circle here in Northport."

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