Norman City Council unanimously approved a contract accepting grant funds to renovate the nearly 30-year-old Reaves Park Kidspace at a special meeting Tuesday night.
Demolition on the Kidspace is scheduled for October and a new playground is expected to be completed by April 2027, according to Jason Olsen, director of parks and recreation.
Funding for the remodel will come from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust’s Built Environment Grants program, which contributes to projects that support physical activity and nutrition. TSET will provide $598,000 over two years, with Norman receiving $299,000 for park improvements each year, according to the contract between the city and TSET.
The total projected cost of the project is $1 million; Olsen asked the city to provide approximately $400,000 in addition to the funds from TSET.
“What we're asking for today is $400,000, so that we can make sure that we can do this project correct and up to the nicest standard,” Olsen said. “It is the most important playground in the Norman's Park system.”
Built in 1999, the Kidspace is a wooden playground used by thousands of children annually, according to the staff report. Council previously discussed the need for improvements to the structure at a special meeting in October, with Park Development Manager James Briggs noting that the playground had already exceeded its expected 20-year lifespan.
Ward 6 Councilmember Kyle Steele asked what impact the renovation would have on the Norman Medieval Fair, which is held annually in April at Reaves Park.
“It wouldn’t have any effect on that,” Olsen said. “Hopefully, we'd be done with phase one before the start of the fair.”
Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman asked if any of the original structure would be preserved.
“None of that stuff is up to current safety standards, so it won’t be used as a playground,” Olsen said. ”Some of it could be used as public art if we’re able to fully preserve it while we’re taking it apart.”
Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant asked about the ADA accessibility of the new park design.
“All of our playgrounds are way more ADA accessible than what they were before, but our goal and the master plans and our community parks is going to be what we refer to as highly accessible, so this would be one of those ones at this park that takes it to a different level,” Olsen said.
This story was edited by Spencer Windholz.
