The playground equipment in Elgin’s Powder River Park is more than 30 years old and so outdated they can no longer order replacement parts, a city official said.
Some pieces there have deteriorated to the point where there was no choice but to remove them because “it becomes less and less functional over time until I can get to the point where I can’t (fix) it,” Superintendent of Parks and Facilities Greg Hulke told the Elgin City Council at a budget meeting this past week.
The Illinois National Recreation and Park Association says the life span for most playground equipment is about 15 years, Hulke said. In Elgin, 22 of the city’s 46 playgrounds are older than that, he said.
To replace all of them at a cost of about $350,000 each would add up to about $7 million, Hulke said.
City Manager Rick Kozal said they’ve budgeted money to make improvements at two parks next year.
“The 2022 budget includes some significant initiatives, including the Millennium Park rehabilitation in the amount of $700,000 (and) the Trout Park playground replacement initiative in the amount of $340,000,” Kozal said.
They’re also planning to spend about $150,000 on a bike path paving project and $80,000 on a concrete pad for events at Festival Park, he said.
“There’s a lot that was left on the table as well that is in need of repair,” Kozal said.
One option could be a bond sale that would generate enough money to replace all 22 playgrounds, Councilwoman Tish Powell said. That’s something city staff will research.
Of the 22 playgrounds that need to be replaced, one is 30 years old, another is 25 years old, and 10 are between 20 and 25 years old, he said. The rest are 15 to 20 years old.
One example of a playground that needs to be replaced is in Randall Ridge Park on Winchester Drive, Hulke said. It’s 22 years old and has things like a wooden platform, which aren’t used in playgrounds anymore. When a musical chime piece broke, they pulled it out rather than spend $4,000 to repair it, he said.
Right now all they can do is make equipment functional for the time being, he said.
Beyond that, there are other amenities that are frequently requested that the district doesn’t have and can’t afford, Hulke said.
“Pickleball is an up-and-coming thing in Elgin,” he said. “I continually get requests for dedicated pickleball courts.” But a court costs $260,000, he said.
Another common request is for basketball half-courts, but those cost $55,000, he said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
