Cambier Park will soon receive a makeover
Naples takes pride in its immaculate parks, especially Cambier Park in the heart of downtown.
The nearly 30-year-old park will shortly undergo renovations, with the city claiming that the purpose is to make it safer and more inclusive.
“We have a lot of decaying since the playground is made mostly of wood,” according to Chad Merritt, the director of parks and recreation for the City of Naples. “We want to try to address certain structural and internal concerns that we have. We need to examine the concerns that are now being presented. The playground that is being offered is degrading due to years of usage, and it is also not accessible to kids with disabilities.”
Merritt said that while they are only starting, a playground of size and caliber can run up to $1 million, according to a recent article by Bella Line of Fox4.
Though adults observe it and children use it, the city is open to suggestions for a better place for children to play.
Ellin Goetz, a previous co-chair of the present playground, stated, “We really want the city to go back to Leathers and say, ‘Hey, we have some issues, it’s time, it’s old.'” The city has done this in the past, and Leathers does this all the time.
In addition, views swing up and down on a playground like a swing set.
Raelyn Osborne, a park user, stated, “I’ve been playing at Cambier Park since I was a little kid and it’s my number one favorite park. My second favorite park is the more recent Corkscrew Regional Park, which is also a Leathers property. They both provide that original, inventive thought to it. Looking at this new idea, it loses its distinctiveness.”
Merritt claims that the new design will maintain the current tree motif.
“What we’ve done is we’ve put together a project that we feel would fit the theme,” Merritt explained. “We are aware that the appearance will change. Playgrounds are no longer there since they no longer look the same.”
Once more, the city is only getting started on this project, so they are open to suggestions on what could be most effective.
This article originally appeared on Fox4
