Hundreds of little excited voices spoke up and we listened. When asked the question: What do you want to see in your new playground at Peek Park?, local elementary school students were pretty clear on what they wanted.
The standard playground stalwarts, swings and slides, topped the list of must haves but then things got interesting. “Zip lines!” “Playhouses!” “Spinny things!” “Things for my sister who is in a wheelchair to play on!” “A little playground for my baby cousin!”
The City of Cedartown took those requests to heart, and we are pleased to officially reveal the initial design concept of the new Peek Park playground structure. The concept was publicly unveiled at the Cedar Valley Arts Festival on April 29. The very first donation towards the project — $5,000 from the Cedartown Junior Service League — was also presented that day.
“Folks may not realize it, but the current playground is over 20 years old,” explained Cedartown City Commission Chair Jessica Payton.
“More than two decades have passed since the current play structure at Peek Park was constructed. The volunteers that worked together to build that playground have enjoyed watching their children, maybe even their grandchildren, benefit from healthy outdoor play,” she continued.
The 20-plus years of smiles and laughter provided by the current playground are coming to a close. “This playground has long outlived its service to our smallest residents,” Payton said. “It’s time for a different group of volunteers to step up and create a new playground for another generation.”
This 2.0 Version of the Peek Park playground is everything we loved about the old one but includes play spaces and places that were relatively unheard of back in the 1990s. Representatives with the City of Cedartown solicited the opinions of more than 300 Cedartown elementary school students regarding playground fun and features. The new design will feature a dual racing zip line, ADA accessible merry-go-round, rubberized surfacing throughout the playground, playhouses that resemble downtown Cedartown architecture, a replica of the Big Spring Bridge, snake slide, crawl tunnel, expression swings, therapeutic swings, a sectioned off Tot Lot for smaller children, a picnic area and more.
Many have asked about the current fence pickets surrounding the playground now. Those pickets will be reincorporated into the new picnic area; they will not be discarded. The City will also offer a chance for residents to pick up their picket(s) if they wish to keep it in their possession. Bricks purchased during the original build will remain and be integrated into the new design.
The new playground is set to be built in Spring 2024, and just like last time, it will be a community effort. From fundraising to the actual build week — volunteers will be needed. Local industry, businesses, civic clubs, moms and dads, grandparents, kids — all hands on deck to create a new playground for a new generation of play!
Personalized pickets are being sold for $100. Custom bricks are being sold for $250. You can access forms and online payment for pickets and bricks at www.playatpeek.org
If you are interested in volunteering for any aspect of the playground project, from fundraising to actual construction, please fill out a volunteer form at www.playatpeek.org
