Benton Park's New Playground

New playground opens in Benton Park
By Jim Merkel
Friday, October 3, 2008 6:03 PM CDT

Project cost $233,693

Erica Burrus photo Dee Harris of the Soulard neighborhood and her 2-year-old daughter Dahlia play on a rock wall that is part of the new playground at Benton Park.

Dee Harris found something new when she brought her 2-year-old daughter Dahlia to Benton Park.

It was a spanking new playground, complete with decks, slides, climbers, ladders, spring animals and swings.

"I've never seen this before. I usually take her to the one across from my house," said Dee Harris, who lives in the Soulard neighborhood.

"It looks nice so far," said Eddie Reece, out with his wife, Denorah, and his two-year-old daughter, Katelyn.

The Reeces live close to the park, but only recently discovered the new playground, which was built for $233,693 from 9th Ward Alderman Ken Ortmann's capital improvement fund and a St. Louis Neighborhood Park Fund grant.

Leaders of the Benton Park Neighborhood Association say they've worked hard to have the new $233,698 playground built as a replacement for a decrepit and often dangerous playground that had been in the park for 25 years.

Ortmann said a big problem was that Benton Park is one of eight parks in his ward, each in need of money for improvements.

Ortmann said he was glad to see the project done, but wished it would have been done two months ago when more children would have been able to use it.

Ortmann gave credit to the Benton Park Play Group, a group of mothers that meet at 10 a.m. each Wednesday, usually at a neighborhood park. That group has kept up the pressure for a new playground.

"I just wanted to have a better park," said Michelle Restivo, who founded the group four years ago and recently retired as its leader. "I was contacting Ken Ortmann for years. It was a matter of him getting the money."

The wood beams and timbers in the old playground had seriously deteriorated and glass was in the gravel surface. The rubber surface of the new playground is designed to prevent injuries.

The old playground was largely used by teenagers, Restivo said.

"It's going to draw more of the neighborhood families," Restivo said.

Last updated: Sunday, January 11, 2009