PORT ANGELES — Backers of the Dream Playground in Port Angeles are optimistic they can get the playground rebuilt this year even as costs of materials rise.
The Dream Playground Foundation announced Tuesday that it already had raised between $140,000 and $150,000 for the rebuild since the playground was destroyed in a fire on Dec. 20.
“It’s a little too soon to write it in stone, but if the stars continue to line up, we may be able to build it sometime before summer,” said Steve Methner, president of the Dream Playground Foundation, on Wednesday.
If all goes according to plan, the rebuild could potentially happen as soon as May, Methner said.
The Dream Playground at Erickson Playfield, 302 S. Race St., was first built by volunteers in 2002 and refurbished again by volunteers as the Generation II Dream Playground in 2021. It was largely destroyed in a fire in the early morning hours of Dec. 20.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested shortly after the blaze and has been charged with first-degree arson. He will be in court next at 9 a.m. Jan. 25 for a status hearing and then Feb. 5 for a findings of fact hearing, where questions regarding the facts of a case are decided.
The playground will be rebuilt as close to the previous version as possible, Methner said, as any additional changes would require a longer planning process. However, if funds are left over, the foundation may be able to add additional amenities or set money aside for future upgrades.
Immediately following the fire, donations and volunteers started pouring in to help reconstruct the playground. Foundation leaders hope the project can be completed within the year.
“We estimate very tentatively that the materials and play surface needed for the rebuild will be in the $400,000 to $500,000 range,” the foundation said on its website, noting the cost of materials has risen by 25 percent.
However, the foundation also said there is a considerable amount of preparatory and infrastructure work that will not need to be redone.
The cost of the original build was about $650,000, according to the Dream Playground Foundation’s website, with $180,000 from public sources such as lodging tax grants and the rest raised from private donations.
Methner said most or all of the play surface will have to be replaced, which is likely to be a significant cost.
The biggest issues facing the reconstruction effort are the availability of the build contractors through the design firm, the availability of turf installation this year and getting the specialized construction material.
“So far, all three look very promising for early/mid-summer,” the foundation said.
More than 250 volunteers already have signed up to contribute to a week-long build operation similar to when the playground was first constructed. Methner said the foundation will take all the volunteers it can get.
The foundation is “flabbergasted” by the outpouring of community support, Methner said, “not just with their dollars but the willingness to come out and actually swing a hammer with us.”
Wilder Auto of Port Angeles and Molina Healthcare of Washington both donated $10,000 for the rebuild, and Molina’s donation was matched by private donors on Christmas Day.
Though the foundation has supported the funding of the playground, the facility itself is owned by the City of Port Angeles, which is currently negotiating with its insurer.
“For now we are proceeding as if we need to bear the major portion the rebuild costs,” the foundation said. “If we have excess funds after the dust settles, we may have some ability to do some neat extras, as well as to be able to plan for future replacements and improvements.”
Several local groups have organized fundraisers for the playground, and several more are planned.
A charity golf tournament is scheduled for Feb. 24 at the Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course, hosted by the 7 Cedars Resort and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. Tickets are $80 and cover a range of items including green fees, lunch and drink tickets. Proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the playground. To register, go to https://www.padreamplayground.org/news.
Also organizing events are Field Arts & Events Hall and the Naval Elks Lodge in Port Angeles.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.
