Category Overview
Local Parks grants help protect these symbols of vibrant communities, providing places for families to gather and play and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in an era when people spend increasing amounts of their time inside. The WWRP is the largest source of local parks funding in Washington, helping communities fund the acquisition, development, and renovation of vital recreation areas and green spaces.
Project Highlights
The Eastmont Metropolitan Parks and Recreation District will use this grant to revitalize the nearly 1-acre playground in Eastmont Community Park, a 26-acre regional park in East Wenatchee, in Douglas County. Installed in 1969-1972, the current playground – the only playground of its size in the area – is outdated, unsafe, and in dire need of replacement. The district will install play structures, a splash pad, a seating plaza, an adult fitness center, and picnic tables. The district also will landscape the area and plant trees for shade. The play structures will have a local history motif and include a tilted sky runner, a slide tower with a climbing wall, swing sets, seesaws shaped as planes, and a merry-go-round. These renovations will achieve the top two priorities in Eastmont’s parks and recreation comprehensive plan. The Eastmont Community Park serves 19 percent of East Wenatchee’s population, which lives within a half a mile of the park. Of these households, 39 percent are poor and 33 percent are Latino. The district will contribute $500,000 in voter-approved bonds and donations of cash and labor.