Lisa Harrison often brings her 3-year-old granddaughter, June, to play at Perdido Kids Park. It’s close to Harrison’s home in Grand Lagoon, but lately she has noticed the park is showing a little wear and tear.
“It’s such a fun park because it has so many different things for them to do,” Harrison said. “I was just noticing today how it’s starting to show some age.”
Sarah Duren’s 3-year-old son Zach teamed up with June to tackle the slides and some of the many obstacles offered at the county’s largest playground complex.
Sara brings him to visit at least once a week because he loves to play there, but she has also noticed some of the equipment needs replacement.
“The pads under the slide are more like concrete than pads,” Duren joked. “The tire swing had just gone out a little while ago. A couple of the benches are rusty, so it’ll be good to see what the county does with it.”
Perdido Kids Park is one of seven Escambia County parks that will be getting some TLC including new playground equipment and other amenities.
Escambia’s Board of County Commissioners approved $1,385,933.06 in Local Option Sales Tax dollars to fund the improvements at all seven parks.
The funding will cover buying and installing new equipment at Perdido Kids Park, Jennings Gonzalez Park, Lincoln Park, Marie Ella Davis Park, and Beulah Senior Citizen Center, as well as buying and installing splash pads at Brownsville Park and Beulah Regional Park.
Escambia Recreation Director Michael Rhodes said the county plans have the splash pads ready to use by Spring Break of 2026.
He estimates the new equipment will be installed at the parks over several months beginning in January.
“I am very happy that we’re able to provide this much equipment across several districts in Escambia County,” Escambia Recreation Director Michael Rhodes said.
Rhodes said the additions the county intends to make to Perdido Kids Park will be in keeping with the Blue Angels theme that runs through the complex.
Adults and kids alike are excited about it.
“It’s a great park,” Duren said. “We enjoy it.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia putting $1.4 million into improving parks. Is it going to a park near you?
Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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