Yorkville City Council OKs new playground equipment for Price, Fox Hill Parks

Yorkville will refurbish aging playground equipment at Price Park and Fox Hill Park, approving nearly $77,000 for the project at a city council meeting Tuesday, June 23.

Playgrounds at the two city parks are over 20 years-old and were slated for replacement two years ago. To minimize costs, the city negotiated a discount with the playground’s original manufacturer to refurbish the equipment rather than a complete tear down. A total replacement of the two playgrounds was estimated at $180,000, according to a city memo.

“You’re basically getting a new playground at a reduced discount with new amenities, but you don’t have take out the poles, you don’t have to take out the footings,” Parks and Recreation Director Tim Evans told alderman. “It saves thousands of dollars as well as staff time in replacing these.”

The discount will free up the city’s Park and Rec Department budget to spend $60,000 on replacing playground equipment at Sleezer Park, which was slated for an upgrade last year. The city for now plans to replace three playgrounds in 2022 at Kiwanis, Rice and Rotary Parks.