CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – Charleston city officials are working with the community to completely redevelop Plymouth Park.
A few years ago, local residents decided the park needed renovation and formed the group Friends of Plymouth Park. Their goal is to raise $300,000, and they are nearing the $165,000 mark.
The goal is to renovate the park, install new playground equipment, improve the fencing, do landscaping, perform maintenance, and add a separate restroom. The total estimated cost of the project is $750,000, but it is fully funded as the city has allocated $575,000 for this project and for the community.
Most of the play equipment at Plymouth Park was installed in 1997. Twenty-seven years later, the equipment is showing its age. Many of the wooden structures are rotten and outdated.
The city has chosen woodland-themed elements to modernize the park. There will be new swings and climbing frames for a variety of ages, and a windmill treehouse will be built, inspired by the fire station windmill across the street from the park.
Since 2012, city officials have renovated 25 playgrounds across the city and have a list of 50 more they plan to renovate soon.
Jason Kronsberg, director of facilities and capital projects for the City of Charleston, explained how important such projects are to the people of the region.
“When you go into a neighborhood and replace the playground equipment, it really impacts the quality of life of the people who live there. Because they see the work of the government and it’s very tangible and something they can use every day. So it’s been a really great experience working with the city council and the mayor to secure funding for these projects,” Kronsberg said.
He said the goal is to instill a sense of pride among residents of the neighborhood. He said it’s nice to see citizens taking ownership of their public space and working together to create a safe place for children and their families.
Tuesday afternoon, the City of Charleston Appropriations and Appropriations Committee will meet at City Hall to vote on approving the purchase of the new playground equipment. This is the first phase of the project, for which the city has allocated $337,649. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. Kronsberg anticipates that once the playground equipment is ordered, it could take about six months to install it. In the meantime, the Friends of Plymouth Park will continue to raise funds and city leaders will finalize their plans for the second phase, which will install the stand-alone restroom.
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