New White Park Playground price rises, fundraising underway

Concord's Friends of White Park is set to put on the town's first ever cornhole and food truck event to support the remodeling of the Monkey Around Playground. Friends of White Park

Myles Mishkit, 3, walks gingerly on the snow-covered wood chips at the playground at White Park in Concord on Tuesday, December 10, 2019. Myles came to the park with his mother and little brother. "We love this playground; it's one of the best playgrounds around," said Myles's mother Gretchen. GEOFF FORESTER

By CATHERINE McLAUGHLIN

Monitor staff

Published: 04-13-2025 10:01 AM

A long-awaited new playground at White Park will cost $60,000 more than expected, and residents are aiming to raise that amount in the next month.

With ramps, solid surfacing, and a wheelchair-accessible swing and merry-go-round, the playground will be the first in the region that is fully accessible.

City leaders approved the project in January 2024 and construction was expected to start last fall. The delay and construction inflation combined to tack on the additional price. The aggressive 30-day fundraising deadline was set so that construction can happen in the coming months, according to Jonathan Smith, chair of the Friends of White Park.

City Manager Tom Aspell said the city is not planning to put further public dollars toward the new cost.

The project’s $800,000 price tag approved last year was covered by $350,000 of city money, $50,000 in community donations, and a $400,000 land and water conservation grant.

Smith said he is optimistic that the new fundraising goal will be met.

The current Monkey Around Playground at White Park was built in 1994 with donations and community labor and is more than a decade past its expected 20-year lifespan.

Article continues after...