BEAUMONT, Texas — If you’re running out of fun ideas to keep the kiddos occupied during the pandemic or just trying to get off the couch, you have a new option.
Orange Lions City Park reopened Wednesday after a revamp.
21 years ago, Orange community members came together to build the popular wooden castle in the Orange park. But a year ago, the park was shutdown after an engineer found the playground was unsafe.
”We went out for proposals for a new playground. We've searched far and near, and we took about probably three to six months to go through that selection process,” said James Wolf, director of public works in the city of Orange.
Wood lasts up to 20 years in Southeast Texas. Because of this, the city of Orange had to tear down the wood and install composite material, which could last up to 35 years longer than wood.
Since the first structure was built by the community, Orange Mayor Larry Spears wanted to make sure residents were involved with decisions this time around, too.
“We had renderings and drawings of all the different parts that were proposed to us, and we let the people choose what they wanted, and when it came time for the vote, myself and the council members went with the majority of what people picked, and this is what it is,” Spears said.
The city spent half a million dollars remodeling the park and adding new features like a padded walkway, covered sitting areas, and equipment for specific age groups. The park also offers an inclusive play experience for people with disabilities.
“We also have a lot that is here for special needs children. We have special swings its ADA compliant for wheelchair accessibility, and so we are just very excited about it. Orange is on the move. Things are changing. We are growing, and I’m just very happy to see what happens next in our community,” Spears said.
Whenever you're ready to take a "slide" on the wild side, Lions City Park is now open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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