NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio – The city will spend $148,000 on a new playground in North Royalton Memorial Park.
The playground – with slides, swings, spinners, tunnels, climbing and riding equipment, picnic tables, shelters and tot seats – will replace the deteriorated wooden playground, which the city recently tore down.
Some of the new equipment is targeted for children ages 2-5, while other equipment is meant for children 6-12. The playground will be accessible to kids with special needs.
Tom Jordan, the city's community development director, said the playground has been a popular spot among families.
"It's the only playground on city property," Jordan said. "It's also probably the largest single playground structure in the city, including the school playgrounds."
City Council unanimously approved the spending last week. Construction is scheduled to start in April and the playground is expected to open by early May, Jordan said.
Brandstetter Carroll Inc., a Kentucky firm with offices in Cleveland, designed the playground at a cost of $6,500. The firm also designed the new City Hall, which opened in November in front of the playground.
The city will buy the equipment from Snider & Associates Inc. – a North Royalton firm that will also install the playground – through the Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Program.
In the purchasing program, municipalities buy vehicles, equipment, tools and other goods from companies that presumably have already submitted the lowest and best bids for those items to the state of Ohio.
Buying through the purchasing program, or "state bid," means municipalities save the time and expense of seeking bids on their own, Jordan said.
The playground is part of a new master plan – still under revision by the city's Recreation Board – for the memorial park. Jordan said the plan might include relocating existing baseball diamonds, tennis courts and pavilions and adding more walking paths and garden space.
Contact Snider Recreation at www.cvsnider.com
Or 800-888-2889
10139 Royalton Road - K
North Royalton, OH 44133
