THOMAS GALLICK, ThisWeek Community News
The city of Delaware opened its very own Jurassic park just in time for the summer blockbuster season.
City officials June 4 conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the new playground at Veterans Park, 1121 S. Houk Road. The dinosaur-themed "spray and play" area features a splash pad, slides and additional equipment.
City spokesman Lee Yoakum said in an email the park cost about $2.2 million. The city funded the park through a 0.15 percent income tax increase for recreation improvements, which city voters approved in 2008.
Councilwoman Lisa Keller, a long-time proponent of the playground's development, said the finished product is impressive.
"It is amazing -- absolutely a fantastic addition to our parks system," she said.
Keller said public feedback about she's received through email and social media about the park has been uniformly positive. She said the dinosaur theme "has been a hit" among children and parents.
The playground sits on land adjacent to the Delaware Community Center YMCA and the Ohio National Guard's Delaware Readiness Center. Keller said she thinks the public playground "rounds out" the site.
"We really wanted to make sure we had something over there that was free for the public to use," she said.
The city conducted the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the playground about a week after the grand opening of the Veterans Memorial Plaza, which also sits on the South Houk Road site.
Councilman Joe DiGenova, who worked closely on the plaza's creation, said he hopes children who visit the new playground take time to stop by the memorial. The plaza features markers commemorating each war the United States has participated in, as well as a World War I-era cannon and other artifacts and features.
Keller said she thinks the memorial and playground complement each other.
"They're both just showcase pieces," she said. "For people to be able to visit both (in one trip) is awesome."
Keller said the multimillion-dollar budget for the project reflects its quality and the inclusive atmosphere it offers. She said city officials took great care to make sure the playground's features would allow children with disabilities to take part in all of the fun.
Keller said city officials also wanted a large splash pad at the site because they knew it would become a popular and oft-visited attraction.
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