Workshop held April 2 for residents to voice design ideas
At the City Council meeting on March 15, the council unanimously approved a budget for the renovations of the Rainbow City Play Structure, located in the Community Park at 1405 F St. Community members are invited to participate in the planning process by attending a workshop held by the design firm Leathers and Associates to provide feedback on what they would like to see incorporated into the new structure.
The playground was built in 1991 by community volunteers and was designed with community input. Since November 2014, the playground has been closed due to deterioration and safety concerns.
At the meeting, councilmember Brett Lee asked staff to provide more details about their plans for the renovation and the playground design.
“Rainbow City is a well-loved playground and it’s unique,” Lee said at the meeting.
Project manager David Campbell explained that several community meetings were held to allow project staff to consider many options for the new playground design. Some ideas for the new design include modernizing the structure or making it a natural play area by incorporating natural materials and rocks. Project staff also asked community members if they wanted to see other activities included in the playground.
According to Campbell, people did not want to lose the idea of the old structure due to its sentimental value. They preferred a similar playground that would resemble the current one with essential elements.
“Rainbow City has so much value to the community […] that they wanted a similar type of structure that was multi-level, that you could create different things out of in your imagination,” Campbell said at the meeting.
Councilmember Lee asked his colleagues to consider an increase in funds for the project so that the structure could reflect the residents’ preferences.
“I would hate for us to miss an opportunity to have a really great and wonderful playground just for the shortage of a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand dollars considering that this playground will be with us for a long time,” Lee said.
Davis resident Richard Garcia visited the playground with his siblings when he was younger and feels an attachment to the park. He hopes the playground can provide the same experience to children once construction is complete.
“I’m excited to see how it turns out and I hope future children can enjoy it like I did when I was a kid,” Garcia said.
The community design workshop hosted by Leathers Associates will take place on April 2 at the Davis Art Center, located at 1919 F Street, from 9:30 a.m. to noon for the community to voice ideas to incorporate into the structure.
Written By: CARLA ARANGO – city@theaggie.org
