Iconic Playground of Dreams is coming down. Here's how the new one will be safer

Tri-Citians, it's time.

The Playground of Dreams in Columbia Park has had a good run, but the clock is running out after years of sun, wind, rain and heavy, heavy use.

The city of Kennewick has decided it's time to replace the beloved wooden play structure with a modern one that can withstand intense use while allowing children with disabilities to play side-by-side with their peers.

Officials launched the $1 million makeover in mid-June when volunteers began pulling down the memorial pickets the original supporters purchased years ago.

Work will accelerate in the coming weeks as the city launches a fund-raising campaign to pay for some of the work.

The city budgeted $350,000. Private contributions total nearly $170,000 to date.

Emily Estes-Cross, Kennewick's director of parks and recreation and economic development, said she hopes the public campaign will push the total to $1.25 million — enough to build the new structure for a contingency fund.

Playground lovers have until the end of the summer to scramble across the castle-like structure that 1,000 volunteers built in 1999. The playground was rebuilt in 2004 following an arson.

By late summer, demolition crews will move in, pending approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, which leases the park property to the city.

The new design features non-wood materials and replicas of Tri-Cities icons, including a hydroplane, a cable-style bridge, a lighthouse and a Lampson crane.

Citizens told the city they wanted the local touches in a series of open houses about the rebuild during the past year.

The good news is the first phase will be constructed quickly. It will be ready for visitors this fall.

The second phase will be constructed during the winter and should wrap up by Memorial Day 2019.

Estes-Cross said the playground can be built for $1 million, but the contingency fund is needed for unexpected costs.

Other cities that have installed inclusive play equipment report they've seen more users with disabilities, necessitating upgrades to nearby facilities.

The public restroom closest to the playground already is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but may need more work depending on the needs of future visitors.

Kennewick casts the project as a tribute to the spirit of the original Playground of Dreams.

A 2015 evaluation said maintenance needs would only increase with age, and found that some elements of the structure no longer comply with Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendations, such as the chemicals used to pretreat the wood used in the structure.

The memorial pickets that supporters bought to pay for the original park are another casualty of modern playground design — not for their materials, but because they obstruct sight lines, city officials said.

The original planners sold more than 1,400 pickets to sponsors, who had them carved with special messages honoring family members.

The pickets were assembled into the fence that's encircled the playground.

Fences are a no-go by modern playground design, Estes-Cross said. Designers favor unobstructed views so adults can monitor kids no matter where they're playing.

The city began removing the non-structural pickets June 15, when 52 volunteers with the second-annual George and Pat Jones Community Service Day stepped in to remove about 800 of them.

The pickets are being preserved for those who wish to reclaim them.

About 20 people have already asked, Estes-Cross said.

The new Playground of Dreams is being constructed by Everett-based SiteLines Park and Playground Products Inc., after the project was advertised for bids.

The equipment is manufactured by GameTime, a leading manufacturer of commercial-grade playground equipment

The fundraising campaign will offer tiers of support, starting at $10. In the spirit of the pickets, those who donate $250 or more can have a message inscribed on small stainless steel tags that will hang at the playground's entrance.

Go to the city's Playground of Dreams site at bit.ly/PlaygroundofDreamsRebuild for information about volunteering, contributing or claiming a picket.

This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 2:37 PM.