South Buffalo is set to get its first public playground as the township tries to turn the RIDC Armstrong Innovation Park into a hub for government, housing and recreation.
“We would like that to be a community center,” said township Supervisor Paul Bergad.
In 2022, South Buffalo moved its administrative building to the area. A 90-home development is slated nearby, and the township is planning to move the police station next to its offices in the coming years.
Right now, the park site is just a patch of grass behind the administrative building.
At least a dozen volunteers will be needed to install a swing set, slides and more. A build day is scheduled for Sept. 7 at 167 Northpointe Blvd.
The park will be built in two phases.
The first phase is being is paid for by a $70,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, plus $40,000 in donated services and cash from NexTier Bank, Allegheny Mineral, Charlton Law, Bergad Inc. and MECALL Services.
It will be mostly completed Sept. 7 and will open on a yet-to-be-determined date once crews lay wood fiber mulch as the playground surface, according to municipal coordinator Sally Conklin.
Conklin described phase two as a “ninja warrior course,” a type of obstacle course popularized by reality show “American Ninja Warrior.” It will include familiar features from the series, such as a warped wall and slanted steps.
“I’ll be trying it,” Conklin said with a laugh.
