Wilsonville awarded federal grant for Memorial Park playground

The Wilsonville Parks and Recreation Department will receive a $550,000 federal grant to help replace the playground in lower Memorial Park.

Funding for the grant came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which Parks Supervisor Dustin Schull said is given through the National Park Service. The grant process is competitive and he estimated that Wilsonville has not received this grant since the 1970s.

Schull said the total cost of replacement is $1.1 million, and the second half of the funding is set aside in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. However, he said the city is working on a second grant application with the hopes of fully funding the playground through grants.

The playground in lower Memorial Park is split in two sections, with the main play structure located near the athletic courts and the swing set located near the volleyball court. Schull said the grant funding will be used to replace both sections.

According to Schull the current playground structure was built in 2012, and the park gets over 100,000 users per year.

“That creates a lot of load on a playground, specifically one that’s not very big,” Schull said, adding that the playground is not designed for such capacity.

Significant community involvement will be included in the replacement process, which Schull believes stood out to the grant committee.

Once the Parks and Recreation Department selects a manufacturing company, Schull said the department will ask for three designs. From there, the Wilsonville community will be able to provide feedback on the design, including individual components such as accessibility design and color patterns.

Schull estimates the project will be completed within 18 months to two years.

“We’re really excited to be able to bring a new playground amenity to Memorial Park.” Schull said. “We know that there’s a tremendous need for it with the way the community utilizes that park.”