LACONIA — Next week, the playground equipment in one of the city’s most-used parks will be removed. Don’t panic, though, said Parks and Recreation Director Amy Lovisek, new equipment is on its way.
A project to update and improve many of the elements of Leavitt Park, a treasured neighborhood amenity off Elm Street, is already underway. The interior of the parkhouse is getting new flooring and new, more efficient, LED lighting. A new audio-video system is also being installed.
Now that the winter is largely over, work is turning to exterior improvements, which will include the construction of a gazebo, a reconstruction of the 0.3-mile pedestrian path, and new playground equipment.
Lovisek said she expects the playground work to begin next week.
“We’ve done the lights, we’re in the middle of doing the flooring, but what most people are going to notice is the playground changing. The old playground is going to be removed starting April 1,” she said, adding she expects the new playground equipment to be installed by May.
The new playground will have a ground covering of mostly wood mulch, but will also have several elements accessible by people who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs. Those accessible elements include a swing, a glider, and a pattern repeating game similar to SIMON. Other playground elements will include more conventional swings, as well as climbing structures, slides and jungle gyms.
In other park improvements, the gazebo, which will be constructed on the park side of the parkhouse, will enhance Leavitt’s ability to host weddings as well as live performances. That project is currently out for bid; Lovisek hopes it will be completed by next winter.
The pedestrian path improvement will focus on drainage, as the trail can become swamped during heavy rains. That work will be done by fall, Lovisek said.
The overall cost of the project is $462,200. Of that cost, $392,870 is coming from a Community Development Finance Authority grant, $25,000 is coming from the Leavitt Park Volunteer group, and the Leavitt Park Trust is contributing another $25,000. Lovisek’s department is contributing $19,330, which is coming from impact fees.
“None of this money is coming from [the] tax base,” she said.
Leavitt Park is one of the city’s better-used parks, Lovisek said. It doesn’t get the same kind of overall traffic as Weirs Beach or Opechee Park, the latter of which hosts many sporting contests, but it’s very valuable to the people who live in Lakeport.
“The cool thing about Leavitt, people are going there for a neighborhood park, to walk the trail, to let their kids use the playground, to play Frisbee or a pickup basketball game, tennis or pickleball,” Lovisek said. “It warms the heart to see it being used as it should be. And the people who use it are very kind to it, they don’t abuse it, they try to leave it as they found it, which we greatly appreciate.”
People seeking a playground while Leavitt is under construction should keep in mind that Sanborn Park, off Mechanic Street, is less than 1 mile away.
(1) comment
Sanborn Park has no parking and an overflow of needles for the kids to play wiht
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.