Page last updated on December 5, 2022 at 10:42 am
The New Playground at The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park is OPEN!
Bloomington Parks and Recreation and the Board of Park Commissioners, with special guest Mayor John Hamilton, officially opened the playground at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Dec. 1, 2022.
Project Background
The playground and swing set at The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park were removed in February 2021 to accommodate the City of Bloomington Utilities Department's Hidden River Pathway Project.
The former playground at The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park was installed in 2011 with assistance from KaBOOM!, a non-profit that helps communities build playgrounds for children. Volunteers from IU Health and The Project School joined Bloomington Parks and Recreation staff in building the KaBOOM! playground.
- In May 2021, Bloomington Parks and Recreation began collecting input from playground users and other stakeholders for the design and elements to be included in the new playground. Students at The Project School, and participants in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington and Kid City Summer Camps, were invited to participate, and members of the public were also asked for their input through the Department's social media channels and website. More than 80 playground enthusiasts offered their feedback.
- Mader Design was contracted to create a site plan, which was completed in September 2021. The site plan was included in a Request for Proposals from playground equipment manufacturers, who had a deadline of October 1 to submit their proposed designs for consideration. The Department received seven different proposals with a total of 10 designs.
- The design for the new playground was approved by the Board of Park Commissioners at their November 16, 2021 regular meeting. Click here to see an artist's rendering of the new playground equipment and design.
- Playground installation, and the associated concrete work, is scheduled to begin in 2022.
Total cost of the new playground is $244,993. The City of Bloomington Utilities Department is paying $151,410 toward the new playground; a Parks General Obligation Bond is covering the remainder of the cost of the playground equipment, installation, and poured-in-place rubber surfacing.