By Beacon Staff
The much anticipated, handicap-accessible playground project in Dankwardt Park is inching toward reality.
But the race isn’t over quite yet. The city recently acquired a $200,000 CAT (Community Attraction and Tourism) grant from the state of Iowa, but that money will only materialize once the funding goal has been met.
The city has a 90-day timeline to hit that goal if it is to receive that money. Then the city will receive a contract for the money.
“We haven’t got the contract yet, but we were awarded (by Enhance Iowa) last Thursday. So we are $310,000 short,” parks and recreation director Eric Tysland said during the April 11 work session.
The good news, Tysland said, is the playground is going to be cheaper than initially projected. While initial costs were estimated at around $1.9 million for the playground and extra features, the new number is about $1.75 million, according to Tysland. The basic playground itself comes to $1.5 million, which is the number the city needs to meet.
“Currently, we have nearly $1.2 million in funding committed to the project,” Tysland said.
The playground equipment has already been ordered and is expected to arrive at the end of August. Tysland hopes the money will be raised by then so the city can fund the installation process as well.
The playground will be ADA-compliant with many site amenities, including innovative and accessible play elements.
The site will later be upgraded to include accessible parking and sidewalk connections, new seating, lighting, and bike racks.