By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend City Council approved the location Tuesday night for the placement of a playground at the Great Bend Sports Complex. The Great Bend Kiwanis Club received $50,000 from the Robert and Patricia Schmidt Foundation and gifted it to the Great Bend Recreation Commission.
City Administrator Brandon Anderson said Hellas Construction, the company that installed the turf on the ballfields at the Sports Complex, will assist with the project.
"We've been looking for an alternative to put around the trees at the Sports Complex," said Anderson. "Those raised beds, they need something. We priced it through Hellas, and that price was going to be $10,000. Chris (Umphres, GBRC Director) has talked them into when they come to work on this project, they'll place turf around the trees as well."
The playground feature will be 36' x 29' and will be geared for children ages 5-12. The City of Great Bend will assist with a fence and netting around the playground, between fields three and four, to protect children from foul balls.
"By that shelter, we are proposing to put a fence up to protect them from that warmup area," said Anderson. "We think this is the safest place to put it. It's close to the concession area and bleachers where people would be able to keep a close eye on their kiddos."
Any additional costs for the install and turf surfacing could be shared by the Rec or the City of Great Bend.