Members of the Maryland Board of Public Works recently approved a $216,000 funding request from the Town of Berlin for new playground equipment at Dr. William Henry Park.
While the colors and details of the proposed playground at Henry Park in Berlin could change, a rendering shows a potential schematic of the proposed design.
Submitted photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
The Maryland Board of Public Works approved the Town of Berlin’s funding request of $216,000 for the new playground equipment at Dr. William Henry Park last week.
The monetary reward is part of a $2.7 million total Community Parks and Playgrounds Program package that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is divvying up among 18 municipalities across the state.
According to DNR’s website, the Community Parks and Playgrounds program “provides funding to municipal governments to restore existing and create new park and recreational facilities throughout the state.”
The $216,000 will be used to replace current structures at the park. Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall said that while the purple/green play unit for ages two to five at the front section of the playground closest to Flower Street and the blue two-bay swing will remain, the portion behind that, the equipment intended for five- to 12-year-olds, will be included in the renovation project.
“This investment will bring updated and safer play spaces for our children and families to enjoy,” Tyndall said in a post on Facebook. “I look forward to seeing this project come to life and continuing to enhance our town’s recreational facilities.”
The mayor said that the initiative is expected to cost slightly more than what the grant provided. It was reported last year that the project total will reach around $240,000 and that the Town of Berlin will commit $24,000 in matching funds to complete the endeavor.
Tyndall said the grant application to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources was submitted in August 2023. That same month, the town received a bid from Gametime, a construction company, for $236,000 for new equipment compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“This is something we have had on long-term planning documents,” the mayor said. “When the opportunity arose to select a project, this one fit. We have been trying to keep it in good repair, but the equipment entering its last part of its useful life was next up on the list.”
The Henry Park playground project can only break ground once the financial award letter has been processed. Tyndall hopes the work will begin in the spring of 2025 and be completed by National Night Out, typically at the beginning of August.
“Playgrounds are something our residents use daily,” he said. “They are part of our community…updating Henry Park will improve our neighborhoods. It will allow children to play after school. This is priceless.”