Construction Starts This Month On New Inclusive Playground At Riverfront Park (Photo) - 04/06/26

• Riverfront Park playground closes for replacement April 13.
• Local contractor and vendor help save on project costs.

Salem, Ore. – Construction is set to begin this month on a new, larger and more inclusive playground at Riverfront Park.

“The playground is designed to be inclusive with all sorts of features that make it so kids of all abilities can come together, socialize and play,” said Rob Romanek, park planner and project coordinator.

The playground will close on Monday, April 13, and contractors will put up a construction fence around the area, including some of the parking spaces in the south parking lot for use as a staging area. The restrooms near the playground will also be closed.

Completion of the new playground is expected by mid- to late summer.

Community Input Helped Shape Design

City staff reached out to families who need inclusive options and based design decisions on their feedback. Special features include:

• A quieter, low-sensory zone called the Eagle’s nest
• An all-inclusive accessible spinner
• A music station
• Fencing around the entire playground for families that need fully enclosed play space
• Rolling bars on one of the slides and specialized synthetic grass that safely reduces static electricity, helping prevent interference with devices like cochlear implants

The design also prioritizes accessibility and comfort for families and caregivers. Smooth paved pathways – including an extra-wide bridge – allow everyone to reach the second level of the main play structure. Multiple seating options are provided throughout the playground for caregivers, along with attractive landscaping and additional shade trees planted around the play area to create a welcoming and comfortable environment.

The playground’s theme centers on wildlife and nature. For example, a climbing structure made of logs will be called the Beaver Dam. The playground will also feature a rock-scramble element that uses real boulders. The synthetic grass will have color variations intended to depict a watershed.

The playground’s entryway will feature circles on the pavement that are riddles. They feature animal motifs and can show visitors where in the playground they can find the image again.

The new playground will be bigger and will be separated from park paths, minimizing user conflicts. Instead, a new 12-foot-wide path will arc around the playground through the south part of the South Meadow. The path will also encompass a tree-filled area that will provide shade for informal picnics.

We are taking care to protect and preserve the park’s existing trees. Only one tree will need to be removed to allow for the playground expansion, and every effort is being made to minimize impacts on other park trees.

Local Vendors and Contractors

The City has sourced much of the new commercial-grade playground equipment from a Salem vendor, Park N Play Northwest. This company is providing new swings, a three-tier play structure and a “bamboo forest” of metal poles to climb on.

As a gift to their Salem community, Park N Play Northwest offered a special discount of more than $46,500 on the large custom tower, helping make this playground project possible.

The playground will also include equipment sourced from four other vendors representing a total of six manufacturers. The City usually uses equipment from a single manufacturer when upgrading a park playground. In this case, as part of the park known as “Salem’s Living Room,” staff used multiple sources to assure that the equipment provided maximum value and function for the people who are going to use it.

The general contractor, Dalke Construction, is also a Salem firm. At less than $2.4 million, Dalke’s low bid is about $600,000 less than the City’s final $3 million construction cost estimate.

The total playground project cost, including design, project management and construction on the new park path, is expected to be about $2,532,000. It is funded through park system development charges, the 2022 Safety and Livability Bond and a $770,000 grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Electrical System Upgrade

Coordinating with work on the playground project, the City is upgrading the park’s electrical system. The upgrade has been planned for a long time. Cost of the electrical project is approximately $896,000.

The upgrades will serve the original park amphitheater, the north meadow and the south meadow. It will replace the distribution system that serves events such as World Beat and the holiday lighting display. The new electrical panels will be on small pedestals where City staff and event organizers can more easily plug in equipment.

Coordination at Bush’s Crooked House Playground

The Crooked House playground at Bush’s Pasture Park will also be closed part of the time that Riverfront Park is closed. The closure will allow for replacement of the playground surface with synthetic grass similar to the material being installed at Riverfront Park.

Playgrounds at Bush’s Pasture Park (Lower Leffelle, near Phillips’ Field), McKay Park, Orchard Heights Park, River Road Park, Wallace Marine Park, and Woodmansee Park will remain open. In addition, you can find a neighborhood park with a playground near you from our Find a Park webpage.

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