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Neighbors push to restore playground in Northeast Hill’s Granada area after equipment removal
Summary
Residents and the newly formed Northeast Hill Association asked the Parks board to prioritize replacing playground equipment removed in 2023, seeking a pavilion, a rebuilt court and further community coordination; staff said a master plan exists and the request is on the unfunded list.
Ximena Caballero, president of the newly formed Northeast Hill Association, asked the Parks and Recreation Board on June 17 to prioritize restoring playground equipment removed from a small neighborhood park in the Granada/Coronado area.
Caballero said the playground was torn down and replaced with a swing set in 2023 and that the neighborhood had lost a key play space for children. “There was a park that was there in Coronado… it has been torn down, and a swing set was put in its place,” she said. The association estimates roughly 40 children live in the immediate neighborhood who would use a restored playground.
Neighborhood requests include reinstalling playground equipment similar to the previous structure (residents cited a pirate‑ship style unit), replacing or improving the semicircular basketball surface so it can be used for play, and adding a pavilion for shade. Caballero described the park as a long‑neglected site that has gone without capital improvements for decades.
Tanya Bird, assistant director for Parks and Recreation, told the board she has a master plan for the site prepared by former board member Michael Wolf based on earlier neighborhood input and that the park is on the department’s unfunded list for potential future capital work. Bird said the master plan and neighborhood input will be used when budget discussions and grant opportunities arise.
Nut graf: The neighborhood is asking the city to accelerate investment in a small local park that residents say went without upgrades for many years; parks staff confirmed design work exists but funding is not currently in place.
Caballero asked for help connecting with CNAP (Community Neighborhood Associations of Pensacola) and with the city council representative to keep the project on the city’s radar and to pursue neighborhood grants or budget allocations. Board members encouraged continued coordination and noted the park’s small scale and local importance.
Ending: Parks staff offered to share existing master‑plan sketches with the association and to relay CNAP contact information; the project remains on the unfunded list pending budgeting or grant awards.
