Shawnee County parks leaders hope new family park will be a destination playground
Plans for the anticipated Shawnee County family park — with its destination playground for older play, 16 pickleball courts and a shelter house — are moving along.
The Family Park will be built at the corner of S.W. Urish Road and S.W. 21st Street between Midwest Aquatics Center and the Cypress Ridge Golf Course.
Efforts to begin crafting the park began in late July 2020 after Shawnee County commissioners hosted the first public engagement phase for the planning of the park. Public feedback was requested in October 2020 for park's potential concept.
Shawnee County leaders have big hopes for playground
The plan is on track to be within its $4 million budget, said Pat Tolin, of MCP Group. Costs are budgeted at $3,857,694.
In Thursday's commission meeting, county commissioners Bill Riphahn, Aaron Mays and Kevin Cook approved a down payment to be made for playground equipment to begin being ordered.
$349,459.00 will be paid to MCP Build for the material cost down payment to ABCreative for the Family Park project.
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Tim Laurent, director of parks and recreation, said the equipment will be ordered for small children and up to teens.
"It's a destination playground. We're trying to buy equipment that people will want to come to Shawnee County to play on and experience," said Laurent.
He said the next step is to get a guaranteed maximum price approved in the following weeks.
Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Shawnee County leaders hope family park will be destination playground
