The APEX playground and splash pad at Memorial Park will close Monday for an overhaul that will take several months, leading to basically a new playground when completed.
Stacy Smothers, Natatorium manager for the city, said demolition on the playground will begin Monday. The timeline for the playground to reopen is not certain, but Smothers estimated in the first quarter of 2023.
“I’ve been working on this project for a while,” Smothers said. “It is time consuming to get to the point that demolition and renovations can begin, but I’m excited we are at that point.”
The project is estimated to cost $425,000. It will see the splash pad moved to a corner of the playground instead of in the middle of the equipment.
“The current location of the splash pad isn’t ideal,” Smothers said. “Being in the middle of the playground has caused some issues, mainly deteriorating the rubber-like surface.”
Smothers said the new splash pad will not use any chemicals in the water because the water will not be circled through a system. It will simply drain.
“When you consider all the maintenance that’s had to be done on this current system and the water that already drains through the cracks in the surface, this will be a cost savings,” she said.
Some of the playground equipment already onsite will be used in the renovation, while other features will be added. The ground surface will also be completely changed to a more turf-like material.
“When this is finished, it’s going to look like a brand-new playground. It will look completely different,” Smothers said.
Several trees and a large area filled with shrubbery will be removed during the process. New picnic tables and sunshades will be added, Smothers said.
“It’s been about 10 years since anything significant has been done at the playground,” Smothers said. “It was time for this, and I can’t wait for our community to be able to enjoy the area once the work is complete.”
