The playground in the passive area of Central Winds Park has been closed since late August, and city staff want commissioners to decide on Monday, Nov. 16, whether to spend about $82,000 to reopen it for a few more years or wait for a full replacement.
During a routine inspection in August, staff found that welds holding a set of access stairs to the play structure had failed, according to a staff report in the City Commission's agenda packet. The city closed the playground as a safety measure.
The repair numbers
City staff have since met at the park with representatives of the manufacturer. The quotes they came back with:
- $50,145.46 to buy and professionally install replacement parts from the original manufacturer.
- $32,250 for an optional refurbishing package: refinishing the metal, sanding the metal decking and coating it with epoxy, and refinishing the plastic pieces.
Doing both would add about three years to the playground's life, staff estimate. For that route, the presentation lists money from the city's fund balance as the possible source this fiscal year.
An aging structure
The city bought the playground in 2006 for $113,934 and spent about $23,614 more on replacement parts between fiscal years 2016 and 2022. Staff list three problems with it now: the stair weld failure, climbing pieces that are no longer made and are due for replacement, and limits on accessibility.
