Local firm in view to rebuild playground

A local company is expected to be selected to rebuild the city’s “Castle Park” playground at West Wetlands Park this week.

Kirk Perkins, construction manager for Yuma Valley Contractors, said the firm has already done three projects in the park at 2200 W. Water Street, starting with the first phase about 10 years ago. “We’re excited about it, and I’m glad they’re able to rebuild it. It was a travesty that it was lost, and I think there are going to be a lot of people anticipating watching it go up,” he said.

Officially known as the Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground, the three-acre maze of castle turrets, slides, climbing

devices, swings and other equipment adorned with tiles donated by the community was a landmark on the north side of town for seven years before it was destroyed by a suspected arson fire Dec. 28. No arrests have been made in the case.

Yuma Valley Contractors has the city staff recommendation to rebuild the Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground, after bidding $1,067,062.50. The only other bidder was another Yuma contractor, Pilkington Construction, which bid $1,124,182.50. The City Council is scheduled to award the contract Wednesday.

The original facility was built by volunteers from throughout the area back in 2007, and Perkins spent a week supervising a crew on the site, one of many local builders to lend their expertise. “It was rewarding, they were excited about it. It was something new. Many people had been involved in service projects in the past but nothing, really of that magnitude. It’s kind of unique to most communities,” Perkins said.

Because the reconstruction of the park is being paid for by insurance, it has to replicate the previous one as closely as possible and be done by a licensed contractor, which restricts how much volunteer effort can be used.

City officials targeted the beginning of construction for just after Labor Day, and Perkins said they should be able to meet that goal if the contract is awarded Wednesday. He said construction will take about two and a half to three months, which means the playground should be ready to reopen around November or December.

The donations which began pouring in as soon as word of the fire spread will be used to expand the playground, with public meetings on what should be included there expected to start in the fall. Total community donations amounted to more than $70,000 earlier this summer, and more efforts to bring in donations were being planned for later this year.

Karen Spencer, a leader of the fundraising drive, could not be reached for comment Friday.