The Chadakoin Park playground project has entered its final construction phase as the rubber surface is being installed. People are not permitted to use the equipment or walk on the site while the rubber surface is being installed. Submitted photo

City officials are asking people to be a patient for a few more days while the final stage of the Chadakoin Park playground project is completed.

On Friday, Jamestown Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department officials announced they are completing the final stage of the project, which is the installation of the rubber surface. While this is ongoing, city officials are asking people to not use the equipment or walk on the site while the rubber surface is being installed.

“While the rubber surface cures, we’re requesting that people stay off the playground,” said John Williams, city parks manager. “Those who walk on the rubber surface will damage it, resulting in the entire surface needing to be redone at an enormous cost. Also, people who try to go on the playground before it’s officially open also risk injury.”

Those who see people trespassing on the playground site are asked to contact Jamestown Police at 483-7593.

A ribbon cutting will be announced in the near future to celebrate the official opening of the Chadakoin Park Playground. The funding and building of the Chadakoin Park Playground was made possible by KaBOOM!, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Chadakoin Park Playground Project Committee and city of Jamestown.

Last month, the three-year efforts to construct a new playground at Chadakoin Park culminated with several dozen community volunteers joining together to construct the playground in one day. Leading up to the playground build day, several volunteers also helped the organizations involved in constructing the new playground with preparations.

The construction of the new playground was made possible by the $200,000 grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, which was administered to the city by KaBoom!.

The effort to construct a new playground at Chadakoin Park started in 2015 when neighborhood residents started to meet with Ben Frasier, Parkitects Inc. project manager, and Williams to design a new playground. The residents created the Chadakoin Park Project Committee to organize their efforts toward the creation. The committee then started to discuss what playground equipment would be best for the playground with Fraiser, who informed the committee that they would need around $200,000 for the design and new playground equipment.

Earlier this year, the committee’s prayers were answered when Frasier, who used to work with KaBoom!, contacted Williams about the possibility of applying for the foundation grant that KaBoom awards. When city officials discovered they were awarded the grant, the gears switched toward getting the community prepared for the playground build day.

In June, KaBoom! officials held two meetings at Love Elementary School, one was to ask the children what they wanted to play on at the park and the second was to ask adults their thoughts on suitable playground equipment. Elements from drawings the children created went into the design of the new playground.

The new playground will be the largest in the city, which includes American With Disabilities Act playground equipment.

The new Chadakoin Park playground is the 10th community playground built in the city during the last 21 years, including the second time a new one has been built at Chadakoin Park. The other park locations where community playgrounds have been constructed includes Dow, Allen, Bergman, Roseland, Lillian Dickson, McCrea Point, Steele Street and Johnson Street.