Plainfield Board Of Trustees Approve New $61K Playground

PLAINFIELD, IL - Plainfield Board of Trustees unanimously approved a new $61,000 playground for Settlers' Park during their Tuesday meeting.

According to village officials, the park's current playground is nearing the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced. The average lifespan for playground equipment, they said, is 15-20 years. The Settlers' Park playground was completed 17 years ago.

Village staff said they've looked into replacement options since portions of the playground currently require attention and maintenance to remain operational in the future.

They also added that accessibility standards have been updated since the original installation and that more inclusive playground equipment is necessary. Village trustees said that they can provide a more functional playground for all users with the incorporation of accessible playground features and site improvements.

Village officials said they were able to save money on the new playground equipment thanks to a grant through GameTime in the amount of more than $49,000. Therefore, the final cost of the playground equipment is $61,602.61, Plainfield officials said. The money will come out of the village's capital projects fund.

According to village officials, the installation of the new equipment and site work will be bid out early next year with installation anticipated in the spring.