The City of Kenai will replace an aging playground structure at the softball greenstrip with new equipment before this summer. Kenai City Council members on Wednesday approved an $85,000 contract between the city and Playcraft Systems, with installation expected by the end of May.

Kenai City Manager Terry Eubank said Wednesday that the park’s existing playground structure was installed in 1995 and has exceeded its usable lifespan. The playground also does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In putting out a bid for the project, Eubank said the city asked for a play structure that is designed for children between the ages of 5 and 12, that meets safety and ADA requirements and that has both a climbing and a slide feature. Twenty-seven years after the current playground was installed, he said it’s time for a more modern piece of equipment.

“What’s going to go back in there is very similar in function to what is there right now,” Eubank said.

The City of Kenai will pay for the new equipment using funds awarded through the former Alaska Department of Health and Social Services through a department COVID-19 grant program meant to support the creation of “healthy and equitable” communities in Alaska.

City council members in November 2021 approved using the money for the construction of a boardwalk over the Shqui Tsatnu Creek drainage near the Kenai Peninsula Community Care Center. However, Eubank said Wednesday the total cost of that project was higher than what the grant would pay for.

Per a Feb. 19 memo from Kenai Public Works Director Scott Curtin to city council members, Kenai’s Parks & Recreation Department will help with demolition and site prep work, and to restore grass areas that may become damaged during installation.

Wednesday’s Kenai City Council meeting can be streamed on the city’s YouTube page.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.

Snow surrounds playground equipment at the softball greenstrip on Wednesday, March 1, 20,23 in Kenai, Alaska. The structure is being replaced this year. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)