Sign for the Chutes and Ladders playground coming to Reservoir Park
Harrisburg is finally putting shovel to dirt on a construction project to make Reservoir Park more enjoyable for residents.
On Monday, city officials broke ground on the Chutes and Ladders playground, which will replace outdated and underused equipment in the Allison Hill park.
“We all loved playing the Chutes and Ladders board game when we were younger, right?” Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams said at the ground breaking. “Soon, our children will get to live it and experience it. The work we are starting here today will lead to needed improvements for this entire park.”
The $1 million playground project has been in the works for years, but will finally begin to take shape this year. It is part of Harrisburg’s Reservoir Park Master Plan, which aims to increase traffic and interest in the 87-acre park.
Rendering of the Chutes and Ladder playground design
First, the city will replace existing playground equipment with new attractions. The playground will be based off of the popular board game, “Chutes and Ladders,” and will allow visitors to engage in a life-sized version. The city expects to complete the playground by August.
In a subsequent phase of construction, the city will create additional parking, add a “tot lot” playground for younger children, plant trees and increase walkways in the park.
The Chutes and Ladders playground was paid for with over $724,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $250,000 from The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and just under $50,000 from the city’s general fund.
The city is currently applying for grants to help pay for the next phase of the project.
Harrisburg City Council recently voted to allow the city to apply for several park-related grants, including one with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ C2P2 Park Rehabilitation and Development Subprogram. If awarded, the funds would support phase two of the Reservoir Park project.
The city will also apply for a grant with DCNR to fund the development of a Harrisburg City Parks Master Plan. According to city officials, this would help create a vision for the city’s parks and assist with applying for future grants.
For more information on the city’s parks, visit their website.
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