Batavia's Engstrom Park to celebrate makeover with party

BATAVIA – The space theme of the new playground at Engstrom Park lends itself to the airborne amusements of the reimagined landscape, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 13. Kids certainly don’t have their feet anchored to Earth, as they fly 50 feet along a new zip line, climb the recently unveiled equipment or take a spin on the high-flying swings.

“I’ve never seen so many kids,” said Amy Gilfillan of Batavia, crediting the added climbing attractions. “Kids love to climb around.”

She recently visited the park with her 5-year-old twin daughters, who announced their favorites: the zip line for Grace and SpaceNet for Lilly.

The latter is a pyramidal structure for climbing on a thick web of rope, where one of the fathers was spotted joining the fun by meeting his son at the summit. Installed in 2010, SpaceNet was the first item provided by the Batavia Parks Foundation.

Other improvements at Engstrom Park already were in the planning stages, but it wasn’t until three years ago that the move to begin the park’s makeover began. Capital Projects Manager Jim Eby said the work was funded through the Batavia Park District’s capital development plan. Watching the transformations during his 25 years with the district, he’s excited to see the completion of Engstrom Park’s renovation.

“It’s a lot of fun to watch the folks enjoy the park,” Eby said of the response to the face-lift. “The park was originally developed in 1984, and by 2014 – 30 years of lots and lots of use – it was pretty tired.”

Today, it boasts a wider 1-mile walking and jogging path, rain gardens to improve drainage, new parking lots, tournament-style beanbag boards made of cement to which people bring their own bags, and a refurbished picnic shelter that’s the busiest in the district for rentals, plus the addition of a smaller shelter.

“We focused on the ballfield,” Eby said. “We did a lot of work: new bleacher area, new player bench areas, [and it’s] accessible for use by kids with challenges.”

The recently installed playground with its cushioned safety surface capped off the three years of renovations.

“It’s a poured-in-place rubber surface [on a] base of compacted gravel – it’s crumbled, shredded rubber with glue mixed in – spread out like cement [and troweled smooth],” Eby said, noting a surface is added for wear. “It’s a space theme: planets and stars in different colors of blue. It’s a lot of fun to stand on the higher slide and take a look down at it.”

And speaking of fun, the ribbon-cutting event will include games for families after speakers review the project and the park’s history, said Kari Felkamp, the Park District’s marketing director.

“We’re encouraging families to come out and show their competitive side and compete against other local families,” she said, adding the event will include prizes and refreshments.

Eby said the playground design was chosen by the public to replace 15-year-old equipment. The district hosted an open house in December to contrast three designs from different manufacturers, and the neighbors in attendance voted for their favorite.

If you go

What: Engstrom Park ribbon-cutting festivities

When: 10 a.m. Aug. 13

Where: Millview Drive and Main Street, just south of Batavia High School

Info: 630-879-5235 or bataviaparks.org