As promised, work on a new amenity to the Bridgeport Recreation Complex has started, Parks and Recreation Director Don Burton said.

 

Workers arrived this week to install a new playground that was designed by Cunningham Recreation out of Charlotte, NC. The new playground has two slides and a rock climbing wall. There are also several other climbing features, connecting tunnels, baseball-themed play panels among others. One portion of the playground is elevated and the roof of the elevation is punched metal with baseball designs.

 

“The playground material was delivered at the start of the week and our staff, mainly (Deputy Director) Joe Shuttleworth, has been working with the contractor to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

 

The good news is that Burton said the playground shouldn’t take too long to install. In fact, he’s hopeful it will be ready by the time Tournament Time Diamond Duel Baseball Tournament begins the weekend of June 12. Dozens of teams, including several from out of state, will descend on Bridgeport for the tournament.

 

“At the worst, I would say the playground portion of this project would take no longer than two weeks barring any serious weather issues,” said Burton. “It would be nice to have it ready for that big tournament and that’s what we’re aiming for.”

 

The playground, Burton said, will help provide a much-needed addition at the complex, particularly for families that travel to Bridgeport for the tournament. He said it will provide an outlet for children who travel with their brothers or sisters to the events.

 

“It’s an amenity that we probably should have had sooner because of the siblings of the ball players that often get bored and really don’t have much to do after a few hours but run up and down the corridors,” Burton said. “When kids get bored they get mischievous, which are really kids just being kids. This will give them a place to climb, explore and have some fun.”

 

Eventually, it will also be a place for families to take their food from the concession facilities or food they might bring with them. As part of the $60,000 project, a picnic pavilion will also be constructed in the same area.

“The shelter work will begin in about three weeks,” said Burton. “It will make the area extremely nice for families.”

 

The project will be funded by a $30,000 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. There is also a $30,000 grant match from the city. The Land and Water Conservation Fund grant program is under the National Park Services and the grant is administered by the Community Development Division of the West Virginia Development Office. Because of that, prevailing wage has to be used for the project, which adds to the cost.

 

Of the total, $52,000 will cover the costs for the playground. The remaining $8,000 will be used for the cost of the pavilion.

 

Editor's Note: Workers are shown doing the initial prep work earlier this week, while much of the playground material is shown at the bottom.