PORT ANGELES — The Washington Cities Insurance Authority will reimburse a full rebuild of the Dream Playground, the City of Port Angeles said.
The playground was destroyed by a fire on Dec. 20. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree arson in the case.
“The Washington Cities Insurance Authority has confirmed that the city will be reimbursed for the arson damage sustained by the Generation II Dream Playground,” Corey Delikat, the city’s Parks and Recreation director, said in a press release Monday. “We are now working with WCIA and the City’s Finance, Human Resources and Legal Departments to finalize the details of the reimbursement process.
“The estimated cost of the materials, play equipment and construction coordination necessary for the volunteer rebuild is just over $550,000, and will be fully covered by insurance.”
The Dream Playground community rebuild is scheduled for May 15-19 at 302 S. Race St.
The 2021 Generation II Dream Playground Project was completed in partnership by the all-volunteer Dream Playground Foundation and the City of Port Angeles.
The foundation organized the community build volunteers and served as the project lead and fundraiser.
The city contributed major personnel and planning support, as well as $180,000 of the total $650,000 needed to cover the cost of materials.
The Port Angeles City Council approved $250,000 in capital lodging tax funding for the project on Feb. 6 with the condition that the funds would be returned if the city received insurance funds.
“That remains our plan,” Delikat said.
The Dream Playground Foundation has received more than $195,000 in donations, according to Steve Methner, the foundation’s president.
“Our community is amazing, and we have been blown away by all of the donations and fundraisers that have happened without us even asking,” Methner said. “We are sure people are wondering about those funds. We are committed to honoring all the donated dollars and using them for the project.
“We are overjoyed to learn that, while we will still need to do the build as a volunteer-led event, just like the original two projects, we will not have to worry anymore about the cost of materials and equipment,” Methner said. “We will continue to lean on each other and our community for support during the demolition and rebuilding processes, but we will not need to seek additional grant dollars or ask our neighbors to dig any deeper than they already have to get our kids back at play. We are now full steam ahead for May 15-19 of this year.”
For more information about the Dream Playground Foundation or the community rebuild project, visit www.padreamplayground.org.
Community members can also learn more by calling the Parks and Recreation at 360-417-4550 or emailing parksandrecreation@cityofpa.us.
