CENTER – The Center Community Park will be receiving a facelift. Town Manager Cole Webb said the park’s old playground equipment would be removed and new equipment would be installed. 

“It’s exciting news for the town for sure. That playground equipment has been around for 20-plus years. To be able to offer this to our community is really awesome,” he said.  

Webb spoke about what prompted the Town of Center to get the project started. 

“I can’t take full credit for this. The previous interim Town Manager Keith Brockhurst had a lot to do with this as well. He helped write the grant along with (Center Consolidated School District) Superintendent Carrie Zimmerman from the school. It was a GoCo grant which is Great Outdoors Colorado. In the grant, we partnered with the Center Consolidated School District to also redo the school track, as well as the new playground equipment.”  

Recently CCSD had a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for its new football field and announced that the new track was being worked on.  

“The new track is also part of the GoCo grant,” said Webb, “and along with the playground equipment and track there will also be a new picnic shelter added as well.”  

Webb spoke about the type of equipment that would be installed at the park. 

“So, it’s going to be a big jungle gym type of equipment with slides. There is also going to be a smaller jungle gym type of equipment with slides for younger kids. There is going to be new swing sets, and a merry go round type deal. There’s also going to be a digger machine, that kids can use to dig in the sand and dirt,” he said.  

Webb said the existing picnic shelter is outdated. 

“We are going to tear the old one down, and completely reconstruct a new one,” Webb said.  

Within a month’s time it would all be completed, as the demolition was started on Sept. 26, according to Webb, who said there were also plans for the current playground equipment that is at the park. 

“We are going to sand it down and paint it and move the usable pieces over on the east side of the football field, so that the kids can play over there when there is a football game, and their parents need to keep a close eye on them,” Webb said. 

Webb said there is also some money included in the grant that will allow for some new trees to be planted in the park, and some greenery to be added as well.  

Webb said that Public Works Director Jaime Hurtado and his crew would be heading up the demolition and installation of the playground equipment, and there would also be a slight change in the foundation for the playground equipment. The plan is to use rubber mulch.  

“I am putting Jaime over as the Project Manager for this project. He and his crew will be in charge of the demolition and overseeing where everything goes and is placed. He is a huge asset to our town. We are lucky to have him,” Webb said.  

Public Works Director Hurtado spoke about what is currently taking place at the park. 

“We have started working on the demolition. We know that we have to have everything demoed and taken apart right away, because the new playground equipment will be coming in on Monday, Oct. 2, so we can start installing it. They had given us two weeks at first, but because of this time frame, our priority is to get it all demoed and taken apart right away,” Hurtado said.  

Hurtado said he is excited about the installation of the new equipment. 

“I think the community needed something new. The current equipment we have is at least 25 years old. There was some equipment that had already been taken out because it was broken or not safe to use. So, it’s definitely time,” he said. 

Hurtado said he wants to let the community know that Center currently has a lot of projects going on, including new lighting at the park. 

“For being as small as our town is, we have a lot of big projects going on and coming up, and I am excited about everything,” Hurtado said.  

Webb said the park project has been a team effort. 

“Between the school, the school board, the town, the town council, and our staff, this has been a team effort and it’s really been great. We have until the end of the year to get this project done, but the playground portion of the project will be completed by Oct. 12. I want to thank Keith Brockhurst and Carrie Zimmerman for their part in all of this. Keith was a huge part in making all of this happen. I really want to thank everyone who is involved in making this happen. This is great for our town, and we are all excited to add this to our community.”