Wright Park playground will undergo emergency repairs

Philanthropy plays a large role in making the repairs possible

The playground at Wright Park has been closed for public safety since a routine inspection earlier this year revealed rotting support posts.

“The inspection team was surprised to discover the condition of the posts because all of the key play features are in really good condition,” said Terry Jungman, Parks Tacoma Capital Improvement Program Manager.

The playground and sprayground at Wright Park were built in 2011 as part of a community initiative to honor the memory of Zina Linnik, a 12-year-old girl who was abducted in 2007 while playing in front of her Tacoma home and subsequently killed.

Following Zina’s death, Tacoma Parks Foundation—a private nonprofit that has been investing in parks and recreation access for all since 1991—worked with students from Zina’s Hilltop school and neighborhood to create a $3.5 million campaign to improve the girl’s two favorite parks in conjunction with other 2005 Park Bond improvements. To help fund both projects, Tacoma Parks Foundation created its first major capital campaign.

The Zina Linnik project provided a sprayground, playground and community plaza for Wright Park. Edna Travis Park, then known as McCarver Park, received an interactive playground and a performance/reading circle with a view of Mount Rainier.

As part of the campaign, the foundation established an endowment to help support long-term care of the playgrounds. While no one could have anticipated an emergency like the rotting posts at Wright Park, that foresight will enable Parks Tacoma to extend the useful life of the play structure.

Safety, sustainability and accountability are core values for the district, so staff faced a difficult decision about what to do following the February closure of the playground and learning that replacement of the posts is estimated to cost $150,000. With the major play features having an estimated 5-7 years of useful life, there is no funding budgeted for replacement of the system or repairs to the existing equipment.

Through the Zina Linnik Endowment Fund, Tacoma Parks Foundation is able to provide $100,000—two-thirds of the repair costs. This will enable Parks Tacoma to replace the failing wooden columns with posts made from recycled plastic. The remaining $50,000 will be funded by park maintenance and operations.

Community gathered at Wright Park for Play in Peace Day on May 20, 2011 to honor Zina Linnik at the playground built in her memory.

On Monday, the Board of Park Commissioners accepted the foundation’s $100,000 and approved the contracts to move forward with construction.

“We are so grateful for the Tacoma Parks Foundation,” said Park Board President Andrea Smith. “Not only did they help create this incredible community asset, but they also had the wisdom to plan for its care. As a result, we can keep useful play features out of the landfill and extend the life of the playground.”

Construction will begin this summer and is expected to take three months.

Sprayground operations and the free Summer Meal Program are not anticipated to be impacted by construction.

If you would like to support this project, or help grow the Zina Linnik Endowment Fund, please click here to donate to the Tacoma Parks Foundation.

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Media Contact:

Stacia Glenn, Public Information Officer
[email protected], (253) 345-0948