Playground relocation in motion

City has plans to relocate Browning playground equipment

With the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District selling the former Browning Elementary School property, the city of Willoughby is removing the playground equipment to relocate it to areas throughout the city.

The playground structure will move to Gilson Park, and the Free Little Library, an Eagle Scout project, will be moved to Falconwood Square Park on Hastings Avenue so it stays in the neighborhood, said Parks and Recreation Director Judean Banker.

“We will also relocate the other equipment to various city parks,” Banker said. “The city feels fortunate that the developer has agreed to donate the equipment for use by our residents.”

The picnic tables and benches will also be removed to be reused, Banker said. While many requests have been made for the playground structure to go on Falconwood, it’s not big enough when implementing safety zones, she said.

The playground structure will move to Gilson Park, and the Free Little Library, an Eagle Scout project, will be moved to Falconwood Square Park on Hastings Avenue. —Parks and Recreation Director Judean Banker

“We’d have to put fences up and it would take away from the neighborhood,” Banker said. “The swings — we’re taking down. The poles are obsolete, but the actual swings — we can reuse that. We’ll need new chains, so that will be replacement parts for other swings in the city.”

The selling price for Browning was $385,000.

The school had been closed more than 25 years ago and was used for a senior center. It was vacated when the Willoughby opened a new center.

“There was actually a group of people from Glenwood and the surrounding streets who got together, and they tried to find any way possible to save the building and the park,” said City Councilman Daniel Anderson. “It was purchased by (a local resident) who lives a street away.”

Plans are being made to have a Ward 5 meeting to discuss the plans for Browning, as well as the Shankland and Ridge Road projects, Anderson said.

“What’s crazy is I was just telling everybody three days ago that not only is the plan for 11 homes to go on Shankland, they’re all going to be 100-foot frontage, so it goes right for what the zoning calls for,” he said. “I got an email yesterday saying they’ve changed to I think five houses, but that’s going to be discussed at the meeting also.”