First Repairs to Imagination Station Coming in September

Plans to renovate and repair the Imagination Station progressed this week, with immediate repairs to the play structure now plotted for September this year.

That's the first update from the assessment of the park by a group of volunteers, led by local architect Piet Lindhout, who visited the park this past week to figure out what needs to be done.  The assessment team is part of a larger group of volunteers that include city officials, business owners and residents who have come together to address concerns with the park's conditions.

While what needs to be fixed has been determined by that assessment, how and when they're going about it is still to be decided, Lindhout said.

Lindhout divided his helpers into several groups to assess different portions of the park. He said he's expecting those groups to report to him this weekend on how much it'll cost to fix their portion of the park, and the workforce needed.

Those repairs are considered the first phase. For the second phase of the project, the volunteer group will be bringing in what City Council member Claudia Roblee has deemed a playground safety inspector to determine what comes after the basic repairs are made. The second phase will occur next year, and could result in extensive rebuilding, Roblee said.

Roblee said the volunteer group that is overseeing this process, which includes city officials, business owners and residents, will decide from what company this playground inspector will be hired from. Leathers & Associates of New York, the company that was part of the original build in 1995, is in the mix for that, as well as two other unspecified companies, one of which is local, Roblee said.

Check back with Patch next week to learn what's being done in September, and how you can get involved.