MORGANTOWN – There’s a new playground coming to BOPARC’s Jack Roberts Park.
Technically, it’s already there.
If you’ve traveled through the intersection of Leonard Street and Madigan Avenue in the last 10 days or so, chances are you’ve seen it.
It’s a pile of crates and plastic-wrapped components surrounded by an orange temporary fence.
But that’s about to change.
BOPARC has been working with Veritas Contracting – the lone bidder on the installation project – to value engineer the cost of installing the treehouse-themed playground and turf safety surface down from $675,000 to $599,747.
The installation bid came in considerably higher than anticipated as BOPARC was basing its estimates on the $378,206 contract approved with Veritas in March 2025 to install the new playground in upper Marilla Park.
When the $471,614.96 price of the equipment is added in, the total cost of the Jack Roberts Park playground project comes to $1,071,361.96
BOPARC Director Greg Travinski said he anticipates the start of installation in July. Ideally, the project will wrap up in October.
At some point during construction, the existing playground will be taken down – a concession of the value engineering process.
“We are going to try our best to keep the old playground in place for as long as possible, but it will not be able to remain the entire build due to BOPARC taking on some work in the process to lower demo costs,” Travinski said.
The new playground will be constructed in a Z pattern near the park’s Leonard Street parking lot.
According to information previously provided by BOPARC, the amenity will feature multi-level play structures, climbing elements, slides, swings, a trolley-style zipline and a turf fall zone.
