CLIVE, Iowa — The Clive City Council unanimously approved the purchase of nearly $300,000 worth of playground equipment for Stonegate Park on Thursday.
A suspected case of arson destroyed the park's playground back in August 2023, decimating what officials estimated to be hundreds of thousands in equipment. The council decision will cost $297,910 in total and install a completely new equipment set in the park.
In February 2024, residents began voting between four concept designs for replacement equipment. According to the city council, 418 residents voted.
Option three, which features at least three slides, plenty of jungle gym equipment and a raft swing, won with 64.59% of votes.
Clive's Leisure Services Director Richard Brown told Local 5 the playground was a mainstay for the community, with Brown emphasizing that reconstruction was always the goal.
“The neighborhood really relies on it," Brown said. "That’s why people live in the neighborhood surrounding this park. They like to have those amenities and the opportunities to get out and about and have fun."
According to the city of Clive's playground rebuilding page, construction on the playground is set to be completed by summer 2024. No official start date has been confirmed yet.