Champaign Park District discusses replacement of multiple playgrounds

Jana Wiersema, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·2 min read

May 7—CHAMPAIGN — What's the lifespan of a playground?

Ideally, about two decades, says Champaign Park District Executive Director Sarah Sandquist.

"All of our playgrounds are on a long-range capital-improvement plan," she said, "and so we aim to get about 20 to 23 years out of each playground. So, typically, we're updating one to two a year."

In addition to upcoming Clark Park upgrades, the district will be replacing the playground at Davidson Park soon, and Sandquist said Mullikin Park is also high on the priority list. The playground at Johnston Park was replaced last year.

Sandquist said in a previous interview that the main component of Clark Park's playground is 27 years old, and several of its amenities are older. It is the oldest park playground in the district and has been preserved at the request of families who live around the park.

Construction is still on track to start this fall, with the renovation project expected to be complete in 2025, she said.

The Champaign Park Board will be considering approval of a $52,194 contract with Architectural Expressions LLP for design services on the project at its meeting set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Bresnan Meeting Center. A Zoom link is available at . Those wishing to comment should attend in person.

"Specific tasks include integrating the existing ADA sidewalk plan into the overall project, new playground, improvements to the sand play area, improvements or changes to the basketball court, general ADA improvements, shade and/or shelter construction, public meetings with the neighborhood, replacement of park lighting, possible pickleball integration, and improvements to Fraker Fountain," Sandquist said in discussing the firm's contract.

She also noted that there also may be some features that are no longer used by park patrons and others they might want to add.

Per the agreement with Architectural Expressions, the project has a construction budget of $660,371 based on cost projections.

While playground updates are par for the course, Sandquist said the broader overhaul of Clark Park is somewhat unusual.

"This overall kind of park renovation is not typically something we're doing in every single park," she said. "A lot of times it's replacing specific amenities. So with Clark Park, it's kind of a unique situation where a lot of amenities are end-of-life."

Approval of the contract with Architectural Expressions will mark the beginning of the design process for the project, which will include opportunities for community engagement.

While the district is still working out the details of these opportunities, Sandquist said that it will keep the public updated on how they can provide input.

"We want to seek feedback from the neighborhood and from the communities," she said. "Clark Park's a historic park, and it's a really important park to our community."