New Kensington moving on new playgrounds in downtown, Mount Vernon

Plans for a new playground and basketball courts in downtown New Kensington are again moving forward, while residents are being asked for what colors they prefer on new play equipment at another neighborhood park.

Council has authorized the city’s engineer to select a contractor from a state cooperative purchasing program for the installation of playground equipment and basketball courts at Barnes and Eighth streets. It’s at the far end of a city parking lot across from Peoples Library at Ninth and Barnes streets.

The work is expected to be finished this year.

Plans for the project date to at least 2017. It will be paid for with a $227,000 grant from the state’s Greenways, Trails & Recreation program.

Hopes to see it built last year were dashed by the covid pandemic, Councilman Dante Cicconi said.

The playground equipment will to cater to children of different age groups and ability levels, Cicconi said. Exactly what it will have, and how much there will be, will depend on what the city can get with the money available.

There will be two basketball courts.

Cicconi said he likes the location of the new playground, which he said should be attractive for residents to walk to from the Ridge Avenue neighborhood.

Cicconi said the parking lot will be reconfigured to minimize the number of lost spaces.

Residents asked to choose colors

City residents are being asked to vote on a color for new playground equipment at a neighborhood park on Summit Street in the city’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood.

The park’s old equipment recently was removed.

Images of three color options are posted on the City of New Kensington Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

Cicconi said he would like residents to share what colors they prefer by Feb. 15.

Cicconi said city crews have more work to do at Summit Street before the new equipment is installed, expected in early spring.