Design plans for the Brad Ragan Park play equipment and plans for the proposed splash pad in Riverside Park. Both were done by Chris Yang.
Changes are coming to Spruce Pine parks.
The town this past week announced that the two playgrounds at Brad Ragan Park will be replaced and a splash pad will be added to Riverside Park. Both projects are slated for 2023 with the splash pad targeting a Memorial Day opening.
The replacement of the Brad Ragan playgrounds is made possible through grant funds from the State Capital Infrastructure Fund and Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and matching funds from the Town of Spruce Pine. Both parks will be replaced with new equipment and safety surfaces.
The new equipment will feature swinging bridges, two slides, climbing areas and more. Both playgrounds will be handicap accessible and will include swings.
The proposed “big kid playground” will replace the playground beside the concrete pad. The “little kid playground” will go near the pool. Chris Yang of Carolina Parks & Play, LLC designed the play areas.
The splash pad will be funded through a State Capital Infrastructure Find grant. It’ll be the first of its kind in the tri-counties.
The pad will be 35 feet by 45 feet and have a dump bucket, spraying flower, spraying rock and other in-ground spray features. It will be handicap accessible.
The town has reviewed design proposals for both projects. Town officials in a public Facebook post this past week shared their excitement for the projects.
Town officials expressed their gratitude for the grants and for the support of the town council. Discussions on the park projects have been ongoing for some time.
“The play structures will give kids the sense of exploring a forest canopy branch-by-branch,” the post read. “The staff sincerely thanks the Spruce Pine Town Council for matching the funds for the PARTF grant and for their wholehearted support of these projects since they were proposed.”