New playground equipment is on the way at Huley Park, the municipal park located between Martin Luthern King Jr. Drive and Carrington Woods.
The City Council approved the purchase during a recent regular meeting.
The price tag for the project is $283,434, which may seem high, but that’s just the reality these days. Camden County, a coastal county with a population similar to Baldwin, recently spent $770,000 on playground equipment for two of its parks, while the city of Atlanta spent more than $1 million to replace the playground equipment at Candler Park.
Huley Park will remain open during the construction, although the two playground areas were slated to close on Aug. 10. The current equipment then will be removed, and two new pads will be installed.
If all goes accordingly, according to Interim City Manager Melba Hilson-Butts, the new-look Huley Park playground should reopen in early October.
Huley Park, named in honor of the late City Councilman Louis “Blade” Huley, includes a pavilion, grills, basketball court, baseball/softball field, as well as the aforementioned playgrounds.
In the past, the park has played host to Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities. Earlier this year, more than 1,000 people converged on the park for Javon Bullard Day. Bullard is entering his third year in the NFL and plays for the Green Bay Packers.