Yelm City Park Splash Pad, Play Area Construction to Be Complete by Prairie Days
Yelm, Wash — Construction is scheduled to be complete on the much anticipated City Park play area and splash pad by late-June, just in time for the annual Prairie Days Festival. The Play area will be open for play on the last weekend of June and the Splash Pad is expected to be open for use in July due to permitting from the Thurston County Department of Health, post construction.
“It’s exciting to see the final plans coming together in time for summer,” Mayor JW Foster said. “These improvements, along with many others over the last few years have made the park a destination in the heart of our community.”
The splash pad is designed to cover an estimated 1,780 square-feet, located within the Yelm City Park, adjacent to the Yelm Community Center. The splash pad will feature multiple water fountains, water rings, water cannons, and other features for children to recreate, and will use a recirculating water system to conserve water.
The updated playground equipment will replace the existing playground, and will expand to an estimated 6,700 square-feet. The new playground will have swings, slides, climbing features, bridges, a tree house, and will have ADA compliant access. A concrete pavilion will surround both the splash pad and playground equipment.
City Council approved a $443,000 construction contract with W.S. Contractors, LLC to install the play area and splash pad. The splash pad is partially funded through the Community Development Block Grant, while the play area equipment is funded through a grant offered by the Washington Department of Commerce.
The projects were advertised for bid Feb. 15 and Feb. 22, and closed March 5. The Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department approved the procurement procedures March 15, and the project is expected to be complete before June 21.
“I look forward to seeing the park filled with kids in the splash park, teens at the skatepark, and parents at the Yelm Farmers Market,” Foster said. “With these final projects, the park will truly be a place for everybody to enjoy.”
