The City of Naples takes pride in its pristine parks, including Cambier Park in the heart of downtown.
The nearly 30-year-old park will soon have a makeover, and the city says its goal is to make it safer and more inclusive.
The playground is wood components, so we have a lot of rotting,” said Chad Merritt, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Naples. “We’ve got some issues that we have internally, structurally that we want to try to address. We have to look at the issues that are presented right now. What’s presented is you’ve got a playground that’s deteriorating from the years of use, and then you’ve got a playground that is not inclusive for children with disabilities.”
Although they are in the early stages, Merritt says a playground of this size and quality can cost around $1 Million.
However, as kids use it and adults watch it, the city welcomes opinions on a better place to play.
“We really want the city to go back to Leathers and say ‘Hey, we have some issues, it’s time, it’s old,'” said Ellin Goetz, former co-chair of the current playground. “The City has done this in the past and Leathers does this all the time.”