Vision and Community Alignment: The Grace Park Revitalization and Expansion project is a community-funded playground and play space improvement project located at Grace Episcopal Church. Within this project, Bath at Play aims to revitalize and expand the current play structure and play zone by reintroducing this vital amenity to the neighborhood, improving community access to the playground, and developing new play options within the current play space at Grace Episcopal Church.

The City of Bath currently has only one community playground. The addition of play spaces that are available year-round and are not attached to or managed by a school or daycare are critical for the children, families and caregivers that live in and/or visit the City of Bath. Play spaces help to combat childhood obesity by promoting physical activity, promote early childhood literacy, and encourage bonding within the community that spans both age and socioeconomic status.

Project Scope: The current playground at Grace Episcopal Church consists of a ~15-year-old CedarWorks wooden residential playset that includes 3 swings, a tire swing, one main structure and a plastic slide. This legacy structure is effectively at end-of-life and has no replacement parts available per the vendor.

A new, larger CedarWorks residential play structure will be installed that includes 3 main structures inter-connected with bridges, 3 slides, 4 swings, a tire-swing, a fireman’s pole, and climbing walls. A children’s picnic bench and sandbox are also integrated into the base of two of the main structures. Site preparation will include as-needed leveling, renewed playground woodchips, perimeter fencing, updated paths, and a forestry management plan.

In addition to this new play structure, one to three musical instruments and natural play elements are slated to go into an expanded play zone which will provide an additional nearly 4000 square feet of wooded play space. A new ~200-foot singletrack story trail that will feature a rotating selection of books from exclusively Maine authors will provide a direct connection from Washington Street to the rear side of the play zone while also promoting literacy and family time in a natural setting. Visitor amenities will be added including bench seating areas, picnic tables, and a trash can. Additional signage on Washington Street will promote play space visibility to the community.

Fundraising and Project Timeline: Bath at Play is taking a two-phase approach to fundraising and play element installation. Phase 1 will include fundraising and installation for the new play structure, bench seating, picnic tables, and initial site preparation for the expanded play zone and story trail. Phase 2 will include funding and installation of the outdoor musical instruments, the story trail story frames, and an embankment slide on the exposed granite ledge.

The initial expected total project budget is $60,000. The Phase 1 fundraising goal is $40,000 and the Phase 2 fundraising goal is $20,000. A $20,000 matching grant has been secured for this project doubling the impact of initial raised funds. Funding sources will come from community contributions and/or local grants. Our goal is to have Phase 1 installation and fundraising complete by late Spring 2025 and Phase 2 complete by late Spring 2026.

Sponsors:

We would like to thank our local business sponsors for helping to make this project a reality!