Bartels Park in East Dundee is looking a little bare.
That’s because Dundee Township Park District officials are in the process of replacing the nearly 20-year-old equipment at the site, also known as Triangle Park by some, with new slides, swings, fencing, and more.
Officials hope to have the project completed by mid-December.
“It’s going to have a lot more play features than the previous playground,” said Mark Simon, superintendent of parks. “When playgrounds were built 20 years ago there weren’t as many accessible features. Now, when you purchase new equipment manufacturers make sure there’s more accessibility so if you’re disabled you have a lot more features you’re able to access than before.”
The old playground equipment will be getting a second life through the Rockford faith-based Kids Around the World. Through the organization, officials as well as community volunteers gather to take apart old playground equipment, which is then refurbished, and shipped to countries all over the world and reassembled.
Simon said Dundee Township Park District officials will be told where the playground equipment from Bartels Park ends up.
“It costs money to disassemble a playground and dispose of it so they’re doing taxpayers a service by coming in and removing the equipment,” Simon said.
Bartels Park, Barrington Avenue and Water Street, isn’t the only one getting a makeover. Officials are also in the process of installing new playground equipment at Lincolnwood Manor Park in Carpentersville.
