Riverdale council approves up to $450,000 for new Riverdale Park playground

Riverdale — The Riverdale City Council unanimously approved Resolution 2025-03 on Feb. 4 to buy and install new playground equipment at Riverdale Park for an amount not to exceed $450,000.

Councilors approved the purchase after staff and a vendor presented final designs showing a larger playground with multiple accessible elements. Taft, a representative of Big T Recreation, told the council the selected design “has 48 plus activities on the playground that are fully accessible” and includes ramps, multiple slide types and sensory panels.

The council and staff said the playground will replace the current upper- and lower-park equipment. Staff described the surfacing as engineered wood fiber for most of the pit with a single rubber-access pathway from the concrete walkway to the accessible deck. Construction timing described at the meeting estimated roughly 12 weeks from approval to completion of procurement and a site installation window of about four weeks once work begins.

Councilors debated color schemes and user demand. Staff recommended the brighter color option shown in the vendor packet and the council added the bright option (staff packet choice #1, a purple-leaning color palette) to its approval. Staff said the vendor expects commercial playground lifespan of roughly 15–20 years depending on use and environment.

The approved package includes a larger main play structure and a separate smaller structure for ages 2–5. Staff told the council they chose a design with multiple shaded bench areas after noting a national study that shade can increase playground use. The vendor said most of the new play features are designed for “all-abilities” access; the council was told one short paved ramp from the sidewalk to the accessible deck will be rubber surfacing while the rest of the play pit will use engineered wood fiber.

The council directed staff to finalize procurement and color selection per the motion. Councilor Arnold made the motion to approve the resolution; the measure passed on a unanimous roll call vote.

Installation notes from staff: the existing playground parts are more than 15 years old and some replacement parts are no longer manufactured; staff said removal and replacement will be scheduled so the equipment is in place for the coming summer season.

Why it matters: The project replaces aging playground equipment and adds more accessible play opportunities. Staff said the larger, modern playground is expected to attract more daily users and better serve residents and visitors to Riverdale Park.

What’s next: Staff will finalize procurement and scheduling with the vendor and return to the council only if changes to scope or budget are needed.