Pullman parks getting a makeover

Three Pullman parks will receive new playground equipment this fall.

Kurt Dahmen, director of Parks and Facilities, said Reaney, Kruegel and McGee parks will get upgrades.

Crews are working to install a new playground at Reaney Park. Dahmen said construction will be completed by the end of next week or, at the latest, early next week. The park will be equipped with swings, a large swing fixture, a merry-go-round and a large rope-climbing structure with a slide.

Kruegel will be worked on next week and construction will take about a week to finish, Dahmen said. Crews will install a new swing set, a small play structure and a unity rocker.

Crews will also install new equipment at McGee Park toward the end of September, which will take a couple weeks to finish, Dahmen said.

Funding for these projects are from two city of Pullman bonds, a metropolitan parks district and a reshuffling of projects, according to past reporting. The bonds were passed in 2018 to grant purchases of a city hall and recreation center, as well as land for a potential third fire station and an event center at Lawson Gardens.

The city built a city hall and recreation center, but equipment prices soared when it came time to build the event center. Rather than wait for costs to plateau, the city council scrapped the event center and dedicated funds to improve the city’s parks, according to past reporting.

Additionally, Parks and Facilities has a metropolitan parks district used to collect money into a capital improvement program.

These upgrades are a part of a larger project to improve seven of Pullman’s parks this year. A little over $1 million has been invested to enhance the city’s parks and recreational spaces, according to past reporting.

To decrease the city’s waste, all old equipment that is viable can be purchased from the city of Pullman’s surplus site.