CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Crews will begin tearing out the main playground feature at Yoctangee Park on Tuesday at 7 a.m., closing the play area as the city moves ahead with a state-funded replacement, Mayor Luke Feeney announced Monday.
The feature being removed sits adjacent to the historic Armory and will be replaced under Ohio’s Appalachian Community Grant Program, which is fully funding the project through the Ohio Department of Development, according to the city.
While demolition is underway, the entire playground will be closed, though the rest of Yoctangee Park will remain open and other amenities will be accessible, the city said. Once demolition wraps up, the rest of the playground will reopen, but the footprint where the old feature stood will stay closed off until the new equipment is fully installed.
Installation is expected to be complete before winter, weather permitting, according to the release. Park visitors should expect intermittent playground closures throughout construction and are asked to stay out of work areas and follow posted signs.
The city first announced the playground replacement in October, saying children from the community helped choose the new equipment. That project is the latest piece of a roughly $35 million renovation of Yoctangee Park funded through the same state grant program, which has already delivered a repaved Enderlin Circle, a new pavilion, renovations to the Armory, a rebuilt amphitheater, new pickleball and tennis courts, and a new roundabout at Mill Street and Yoctangee Parkway.
Residents with questions about the project can email [email protected] or call 740-774-1185, the city said.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Chillicothe.
