Cold weather and muddy conditions forced the ongoing $1.1 million Mammoth Park renovation project into hibernation, but county bureau of parks and recreation officials expect work to resume “in a few weeks,” allowing the much-anticipated Giant Slide complex to open by late May.

“We’re basically shut down for winter right now, and we still have a little bit of work to do,” said Malcolm Sias, county parks director. “It just became too wet, too muddy and too cold after Thanksgiving, and we decided to shut it down until better weather arrives.

“We hope to have it open by our picnic pavilion rental season that begins in late May.”

The former 96-year-old slide in Mt. Pleasant Township that thrilled parkgoers for 45 years closed in November 2018 for the project.

Two 100-foot-long stainless steel racing slides were installed last fall by contractors, Custom Contracting of Acme and Jeffrey Associates of Indianola, said Jeff Richards, parks planning coordinator.

The slide pieces were shipped across the Atlantic from German manufacturer Goric to Baltimore and then trucked to the park. An accompanying 41-foot-long plastic slide, for younger thrill seekers, has also been installed at the site.

Richards and Sias said there is a lot of slide access work to be completed at the top, the bottom landing area and in between. Landscaping work also needs completed.

Richards estimated the site is about 80% complete.

“We’ve basically had to rebuild that whole hill to fit the slides,” Richards said. “Part of the project is making the walk back up the hill about as fun as the slide down.”

Contractors are working on a Scramble Area for the climb back up to the slide entrances in Launch Plaza.

The Scramble Area is described as part walkway, climbing wall and cargo netting “for kids… both young and old,” Richards said. There are spots in the area for photo opportunities, and it will accommodate those with special needs.

“If some younger slide users choose, they will also have the opportunity about one-half way up … to hop over on a cargo net to climb it the rest of the way to the top,” Sias said.

Richards said the net will be supported by log poles erected at the site.

Renovation is also continuing on two tennis courts and a dek/street hockey rink.

“The public really loved that old slide and I remember riding it myself when it was first opened (in 1973),” Sias said. “But everybody who’s seen what’s already been installed there so far just goes ‘Wow!’ and gets really excited about it. And we can’t wait until it opens, either.

“We really believe it’s going to be a destination for the entire region once it’s done.”

Funding for the project is coming from a variety of sources including state grants, private foundation grants, community development money and the county’s hotel tax.

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