The City of Burlington Parks and Recreation Department has a radical idea — a playground where children of all ages, skill sets and abilities can play together.

But to pull off the $1.9 million project, it will need to raise money. 

The department will kick off its fundraising campaign at 5 p.m. on Aug. 16 with a public information meeting at the Burlington Public Library, Parks and Development Director Eric Tysland told the council during their Monday work session.

“Everyone can play together on one site,” Tysland said of plans for the playground that will replace an existing one at Dankwardt Park.

Currently, the nearest inclusive playground is in Keokuk's Tolmie Park, according to accessibleplayground.net's park directory.

“It’s just a really good thing for this community," Parks Superintendent Ryan Gourley said.

Mayor Jon Billups said he does not believe that families should have to leave a city of Burlington's size to find a place for disabled children to play.

According to responses to a survey conducted in August by the parks department, the majority of community members share that belief.

About 94% of survey respondents indicated they wanted an inclusive playground in Burlington, and 87% wanted it to have accessible surfaces. 

Previously:City seeks input on Dankwardt Park playground replacement design

More:'I want him to enjoy the park as much as I do': Burlington residents weigh in on inclusive Dankwardt Park playground

The proposed 6,500-square-foot design will blend the natural atmosphere of the park with accessible elements, Tysland said.

Portions of the playground designed to be accessible will use rubber matting play surfaces, while features that are not disability-friendly will use mulch. 

“This combination is unique,” said Tysland.

The playground will consist of three play structure that look similar to treehouses that can accommodate wheelchairs as well as allow for a variety of climbing structures requiring varying degrees of skills. One of the treehouse-like structures will be for children ages 2-5, while the other two will be for older children.  

Interactive boards, such as one with the American Sign Language alphabet, will be featured throughout the play space, and musical instrument features will decorate the sides of the sidewalk running the length of the playground. 

There also will be picnic tables and a variety of seating types seating along the playground's edges.

There also will be accessible versions of swings and spinners, as well as a tire swing — a clear favorite among visitors to the existing playground.

Part of the swing bank will be on the accessible rubber matting and part of the swing bank will be on mulch.

The landscape around the playground will see some changes as well. Among them will be the planting of an additional tree and the installation of new vegetation areas that will create a barrier between the play space and the road. 

New parking closer to the playground also will be added and new accessible pathways will link the shelters, restrooms and skatepark to the playground.

Light poles from Jefferson Street that were set to be scrapped as part of the city's Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery grant project will instead be used at the playground.

More:Burlington celebrates Park Month, new playground at Dankwardt

Part of the price comes with the sheer vastness of the project, which, beyond the 6,500 square feet of play space, will include benches, bike racks and water fountains.

Two of the most expensive parts of the project are the play structures, the cost of which totals about $445,000.

The two structures for older children, which will be connected by a bridge, will cost $405,000 with the structure for younger children coming in at about $40,000.

Other play elements will add an additional $270,000.

Another large cost of the project comes from the accessible rubber surfaces. According to estimates Tysland presented to the council, the surfacing material and mulch for the project will cost about $200,000, though Tysland said the rubber matting is by far the more costly of the two.

The new walkways and added parking will cost about $130,000.

The rest of the cost comes from furnishings, improvements and overall work needed on the site, as well as the cost of the work being completed.

City Manager Chad Bird said the biggest obstacle to the new playground is finding ways to pay for it.

Fundraising efforts haven't started in earnest yet, but the city already has come up with $650,000.

That money largely has come from two sources: local foundations dollars and city funds.

The city has allocated about $200,000 of its American Rescue Act funds, while another $300,000 will come from the city's local option sales tax fund and the Starker Fund, which provides money annually for Burlington's parks. 

The other $150,000 comes from foundation grants, with $100,000 coming from a Wellmark grant the city received earlier this year. Money from the Murray Foundation, the Community Foundation and the proceeds from the Great River Bridge Race make up the rest.

Tysland hopes to raise the additional $1.3 million needed for the project before the start of 2023, when costs are expected to increase by at least 5%. 

Bird said additional grant opportunities will be sought out, though appropriate grants can be difficult to identify. 

Destination Iowa grants, for example, are awarded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority to projects that will attract new visitors to the state, and while the new addition to Dankwardt Park is expected to draw daytime visitors, Bird said Destination Iowa is explicit in its refusal to fund playgrounds. 

Thus far, projects that have been awarded Destination Iowa dollars have included the paving of a Cedar Valley Nature Trail that will connect the Waterloo/Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids metro areas and the creation of a new 30-site RV campground and other amenities in Colfax.

“Maybe people won't spend the night (when visiting the playground), but they’ll buy gas and food,” Billups said of the playground's potential impact on tourism.

Those interested in donating to the playground project can contact the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department for more information by calling (319) 753-8131.