City Park undergoes summer upgrades, more to come

It's safe to say that City Park received quite the facelift this summer.

Thanks to work from the parks and recreation department, new stairs, a refurbished pavilion and even a pair of horseshoe pits are the freshest features of Wrangell's often-frequented City Park, about a mile south of downtown.

Parks and Rec Director Lucy Robinson began planning the project earlier this spring with the hope of contracting out work to exclusively local contractors, as opposed to putting the projects up for bid.

In the end, she accomplished exactly that.

Johnson Construction & Building Supply worked with Scott Young to renovate the pavilion and build the fire pit, while Svendsen Marine built the large metal exhaust hood that sits over the pit. Young teamed up with BW Enterprises to build the stairs to the water and Mike Jabusch added electricity and lighting to the inside of the pavilion.

Parks and Rec staffer Lane Fitzjarrald topped off the collective effort by installing the pavilion's windows.

Even the U.S. Forest Service joined the project, helping to remove a lot of the growth in nearby areas.

The upgrades were completed for just under $30,000.

For Robinson, upgrading the pavilion was crucial, as its previous design proved outdated, especially given how frequently it is used for community and casual events. While the previous iteration contained a long, narrow stone vent hood that was rather low to the fire, the new welded hood sits much higher on the roof, is far wider and is generally less of an impediment for fire-makers of all heights.

Another of the pavilion's issues the upgrades were hoping to solve was a lack of light. While the old design's back wall was made of nothing but wood and stone, this summer upgrades brought windows, allowing for light to reach even the back corners of the pavilion.

And for the months when the sun sets before dinner time, a new electric panel complete with a handful of outlets, string lights and several permanent light fixtures should be enough to illuminate the pavilion once it gets dark.

Parks and Rec also removed a broken-down garbage can and a rotten tree trunk next to the covered area, meaning that there is now a clear view from the pavilion to the water, something Robinson believes is a happy side effect of the much-needed removals.

While the pavilion remodel was the most daunting task, Robinson is also proud of the stairs installed to connect the road to the beach.

"We wanted stairs so that there would be better access for elders and children," Robinson said.

Judging public opinion based on the Wrangell Community Group Facebook page, the stairs have been nothing short of a smashing success in public reception.

Though plentiful, the upgrades are not yet finished.

Before the summer months are through, the park will also receive three disk golf baskets and two obstacle courses for children and adults. Parks and Rec plans to install the obstacle courses at the southern end of the park. As for the disk golf baskets, the department will consult specialists to identify ideal locations.

The pavilion's final touch-up will be a fresh coat of paint on its interior. Robinson hopes the paint job can be completed this week.