“We want to upgrade the level of play, so to speak,” he said. “We are trying to do more active play.”
The city this year plans to replace and upgrade the playgrounds at about a dozen parks. The city also will make major playground investments next year.
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About $244,000 of the funding in 2020 and 2021 will come from Issue 9, which was the income-tax hike approved by voters in November 2016, said Diane Shannon, Dayton's director of procurement, management and budget.
About $500,000 each year will come from debt the city plans to issue, she said.
The city has 42 parks that have playground amenities, and 38 of those have equipment that is 15 to 20 years old, Stovall said.
Seven parks have benefited from some new investments to their playgrounds, shelters and basketball courts in the last three years using Issue 9 funds, Stovall said. The city expects to receive about $13.1 million from Issue 9 in 2020.
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New playground equipment will be for children between the ages of 5 and 12, and play systems and amenities will offer climbing, crawling and other fitness-type opportunities, Stovall said.
Much of the current equipment is outdated and is designed for very young children, Stovall said, and modern playgrounds are designed to be high-energy and offer various experiences.
“We want to make the parks destination points,” Stovall said. “We want stuff that’s more interactive.”
Facilities expected to get new playground investments include Belmont Park, Princeton Park, Highview Hills Park, Stuart Patterson Park, Deweese/Ridgecrest Park, Madden Hills Park, Pierce Steele Park, Cooper Park, Triangle Park and Kettering Fields, according to the city.
Park upgrades are expected to begin in May.
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