PORT ANGELES — Despite a flurry of last-day activity, the Generation II Dream Playground finished its planned six-day construction schedule on Sunday with much work still to be completed, but plans are already in the works for the remaining pieces to fall into place.
A scarcity of volunteer workers during the course of the week made it difficult for all tasks to be accomplished.
On Sunday afternoon — the last day of the community build — a crane arrived to lift turret roofs into place atop the frameworks of the centerpiece play structures.
Steve Methner, president of the Dream Playground Foundation, which is in charge of the build, said he was happy with the progress.
“We just had an exciting moment,” he said. “We got all of the towers set, and now it looks like a playground.
“It feels like there’s new energy here.”
Dozens of workers braved unseasonably hot temperatures on Sunday to finish as many tasks as possible before the planned stop time of 5 p.m. Methner speculated that, with the thermometer reading in the mid-90s, many older people who would have volunteered may have stayed home.
All that remained for Sunday was to finish off what detail work that could be accomplished and then button up the site.
Fencing around the playground and lesser play structures remained incomplete, but the park’s centerpiece — a “tree house” with slides and places for kids to scamper about — was finished enough to top out with the roof assemblies. A gazebo and a second play unit also received their roofs.
Methner said he and other foundation board members were leaning toward an additional weekend in July for volunteers to complete the project.
“It’s still a little bit up in the air, but we’ll have another weekend, maybe a Friday, Saturday and part of a Sunday late in July,” Methner said.
Methner said he has plans for a smaller “strike crew” of volunteers to assist with bringing the Dream Playground to its conclusion.
“We’ll also have strike crew come in to do some stuff that doesn’t need supervision or certification,” he said. “Benches, decorations and things like that so we can be as ready as we can when we do our second weekend.”
The Generation II Dream Playground replaces the original playground built by volunteers in 2002. That mostly wooden playground was razed earlier this year because of maintenance and safety issues.
Construction of the new play area was delayed from 2020 because of COVID-19.
The non-profit Dream Playground Foundation raised almost $600,000 for playground construction with dozens of contractors donating labor and equipment.
Volunteer Laurel Hargis said the new playground would be a nice gift to the children of Port Angeles and others youngsters who visit.
“I think this project is wonderful because the kids have had a tough year because of the pandemic,” she said. “What a wonderful thing to happen for them.”
Methner stepped aside for moment after the last roof piece was lowered into place and secured.
“I’m pretty emotional right now,” he said. “It’s been a year of delay and a lot of obstacles, COVID and other things, but I also feel there are a lot of amazing people who live here who step up when it’s time to step up.”
Workers secure the roof of a gazebo as it is lowered by crane on Sunday at the Generation II Dream Playground at Erickson Playfield in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
