Contractor, funding in place to begin work
The City of St. Augustine announced DiMare Construction has been contracted to reconstruct its beloved iconic playground, Project S.W.I.N.G (St. Augustine’s Wish for Its Next Generation).
The southern portion of the playground was closed in May 2021 due to its age and condition, and the community has been anticipating this announcement of when they might expect work to begin. “With signed contracts and funding secured through City resources and St. Johns County, we are so happy to share this news,” City Manager John Regan announced today. “We will have to stage the site for construction, which unfortunately will mean shutting down the entire play area. However, this will give our crews ample and open space to work so that we can do our best to reopen the park in November which coincides with the 25th Anniversary of Project S.W.I.N.G..”
On Monday, May 23, at the regularly scheduled City Commission meeting, the City of St. Augustine approved the transfer of $200,000 in reserves to cover its share of the project. St. Johns County Tourist Development Council has committed $300,000.00 in support of this project. The Phase I contract will be executed beginning on or around June 1 and includes soil removal and replacement, demolition, and construction.
In response to the outpouring of support from the community who rallied their support in favor of repairing and reconstructing the structure, the City of St. Augustine created a dedicated fund to allow for direct online contributions from anyone interested. Since last year, online contributions in the amount of $1432.13 have been received.
Online contributions will continue to be accepted hereCity prepares for Project S.W.I.N.G repairs and reconstruction. Because PayPal charges a transaction fee, there is an option to offset that fee, if one so chooses, when completing the online transaction.
Inquiries may be directed to Melissa Wissel, Communications Director, at 904.293.3307 or via email.
Original source can be found here.
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