Exciting changes are coming to 16th Street Park, one of the Grover Beach community’s most popular parks. This week, the Grover Beach City Council awarded a construction contract for moving forward with replacing the park’s 20-plus-year-old playground equipment with a more modern and inclusive design submitted by Play and Park Structures.

“COVID-19 has made us all realize just how valuable outdoor recreational areas are for both physical and mental health,” said Grover Beach Mayor Jeff Lee. “Being able to move forward with a project like this that will benefit families and youth in our community for many years to come is priceless.”

The new design incorporates a treehouse fort theme and playground features previously identified as important by the community and Grover Beach youth. These features include tall towers with multiple levels, slides, swings, monkey bars, spinners and inclusive play options for children with special needs and in wheelchairs. There will be two main playground structures built that incorporate many of these elements, one designed for ages 2 to 5 and another for ages 5 to 12. Construction of the new playground is planned to begin later this month and expected to be completed by summer 2021. Other areas of the park including the covered picnic area, sports field and a large open turf area will not be impacted by the construction of the new playground structure.

“Grover Beach is a beautiful city with great outdoor spaces and so much to offer the community,” said Grover Beach City Manager Matthew Bronson. “We are committed to continually looking for opportunities to improve our park facilities to provide an outlet to get outside, be active, and enjoy our fresh air.”

The new playground is part of the larger 16th Street Park Project, which will also improve restroom facilities and park lighting. The City’s Capital Improvements Program has allocated $487,000 to the project including $333,000 in funding for the new playground. The project is funded through a combination of sources including Parks Facility Development Impact Fees, State Proposition 68 Parks Grant, City General Fund, and a generous donation from the Nichols Foundation.