Brewer’s central playground on Wilson Street has reopened to the public after a major makeover.
After 23 years of wear and tear, the playground needed to be redone, said Aimee Cyr, Brewer’s deputy director of parks and recreation. The city maintained it for as long as it could, but it got to the point where parts were outdated and it was difficult to find replacements.
The playground overhaul at 318 Wilson St. was part of Brewer’s capital improvement plan, Cyr said. The city will host a grand opening next spring, after other upgrades are complete. Those include paving the walkway to the playground, reseeding and adding benches and picnic tables.
“It’s beautiful,” said Jeannette Hare, a Brewer parent at the playground Tuesday. “It’s a really nice upgrade.”
Hare has visited the playground with her 11-year-old son, Cody Berry, frequently over the years. Now children have more playground equipment options, such as the rope climber and a merry-go-round, she said.
The project took about a month to complete, and the playground reopened to the public Monday.
“Talking to the kids in our after-school and summer programs, they wanted monkey bars, monkey bars, monkey bars,” Cyr said. “So there are many climbing features. The decking surfaces and slides are also popular.”
Brewer has four playgrounds, but the one on Wilson Street is the most popular and near the municipal pool, Cyr said.
She also highlighted playgrounds at the Dougherty Recreational Complex, Eastern Park and Fling Street Park. Brewer Community School and the Brewer Public Library have playgrounds that they maintain, she said.
