Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Erie dedicates $92,000 playground at Joseph A. Walzak Sr. Park; city seeks input on ERIE Outside parks plan
Summary
City of Erie officials dedicated a new playground at Joseph A. Walzak Sr. Park during a public ceremony, announcing a $92,000 renovation — the first major upgrade in 37 years — and asking residents to help shape a new citywide parks plan called ERIE Outside.
City of Erie officials dedicated a new playground at Joseph A. Walzak Sr. Park during a public ceremony, announcing a $92,000 renovation and the playground’s first major upgrade in 37 years.
A city official opened the dedication by saying, “Our 48 City of Erie–owned parks and open spaces are not luxuries, they are necessities,” and framed the new playground as part of efforts to promote outdoor activity and public health.
Jeff Gibbons, the City of Erie’s assistant director of public works, property and parks, told attendees the project “marks the first major upgrade in the playground in 37 years,” and described the new equipment as designed to “promote physical activity, creativity, and social interaction.” He thanked Gary Graham, bureau chief of parks; a superintendent identified as Steve Joynt; and Mark Davidson, the city’s playground mechanic, for their roles in planning and installing the equipment.
The city said the project cost $92,000. Officials noted the playground complements the city’s broader parks assets — 48 city-owned parks that serve more than 94,000 residents — and introduced a citywide parks and recreation and open-spaces planning initiative called ERIE Outside. City materials and speakers encouraged residents to complete a survey and attend outreach events; the exact survey web address was provided at the ceremony and paper copies were available at City Hall.
Officials also used the event to promote two free summer concerts: an 814 Concert Series performance behind Nickel Plate Mills at East 20th and German Streets on Sunday, July 27 at 5 p.m., featuring The Preacher Freedom Experience, and a Sounds of Summer performance at the Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home on Monday, July 28 at 7 p.m., featuring Tennessee Back Porch. Sponsors listed at the event included UPMC Health Plan, Northwest Bank, Alan Zuercher and the Local 17 Music Fund.
City officials referred to the last comprehensive parks plan, completed in 1994 under Mayor Joyce Savaccio, and said several smaller upgrades have happened since but that the city has not had a citywide comprehensive plan in the intervening years. No formal votes or ordinance actions were announced at the ceremony; officials framed the presentation as a dedication and a public outreach step for the ERIE Outside planning process.
The dedication concluded with ribbon cutting and an offer by the two speakers to be available for media interviews following the event.
