Refurbished Leechburg playground open to public

Thomas Zimmerman and his two boys walked past the playground on Campbell Avenue every day for two weeks to see if it was finished.

On Tuesday, he and his boys got what they were wishing for.

About two months after the ground was broken, the playground was opened for use. Leechburg Mayor Doreen Smeal said the play area has “been a long time coming.”

The mayor hosted a grand opening event for the playground at 1 p.m. Despite getting some pushback from residents because older children were in school during the event, Smeal said the event was still a hit.

“We have a lot of preschool children, and there were quite a few there waiting to go in (to the playground),” Smeal said. “The children that were there had a great time. And they were able to play before the older kids came.”

Missing the grand opening didn’t dull Zimmerman’s 5-year-old son, Cooper’s, excitement.

“As soon as my 5-year-old came home from school, he was super excited,” Zimmerman said. “He said, ‘Daddy, the playground is open,’ and we got ready and came right over.”

Zimmerman and his family live a little over a block away. He said the playground before had gotten pretty old, and the wear and tear was beginning to show on the equipment.

“Part of this was pretty old,” he said. “It was pretty old, very dated equipment. We were concerned because it looked like there were a couple of pieces that they were going to keep here. But we were glad that they got rid of them.”

Borough Councilman D.J. Zelczak handled the grant writing for two borough playground projects. The Campbell Avenue playground was awarded $136,800 from the state’s Department of Community & Economic Development.

“(State Rep.) Abby Majors and (state Sen.) Joe Pittman were very strong backers of the grants,” Smeal said. “I think the main reason we received them was because of their hard work.”

Smeal said after the grant was awarded, she and Larry Boehm, a member of the borough’s parks and recreation committee, worked with a company called Sports & Recreation Associatesand were able to pick from two set-up options for the playground.

All of the equipment from the previous playground was replaced, including slides, the swing set and the climbing unit.

“It looks so nice,” Smeal said. “It’s clean and everything about it is pristine.”

The playground’s updates also include a new pavilion, benches and garbage cans.

The second playground project in the borough is set to begin in the middle of October on Kiski Avenue, Smeal said. The project was awarded $96,700 in state DCED grant money.

Zimmerman complimented the colors of Campbell Avenue’s new play area and the up-to-date equipment. He said it was worth the wait.

“I’m so happy, and it’s been a long time coming,” Smeal said. “It’s a shame that it couldn’t be open in the summer, but it’s there now, and everything is good.”