Photo of Puʻu Nui Park, courtesy the County of Hawaiʻi

(BIVN) – The playground redevelopment project at Pu‘u Nui Park in Waikoloa Village is underway, the County of Hawaiʻi announced on Thursday.

Two new play structures with slides and climbing areas will be installed at the park, along with fencing and a new play surface to enhance safety. 

The improvements are expected to be complete by the end of February. 

“Addressing these long-awaited improvements was one of our administration’s priorities,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda. “We can’t overstate the importance of safe and adequate recreation for our keiki, and we know that this new playground will be a relief to families and community members who have expressed concern over the deterioration of the old playground equipment.”

The playground project is a collaboration between the County of Hawai‘i Department of Parks & Recreation and the Friends of Pu‘u Nui Park, which raised funds to purchase the new equipment.

Rendering of the new playground equipment, courtesy the County of Hawaiʻi

From the County of Hawaiʻi:

During the project, Parks & Recreation’s Maintenance Division will excavate and prepare the subgrade at the playground area, build new concrete walkways, steps, and retaining walls, and add new fencing around the playground area. In addition, the department has hired a contractor to install the playground’s new safety surfacing system consisting of both synthetic turf and rubber mulch.

The Friends of Pu‘u Nui Park and their contractor will lay out and install the concrete footings for the playground equipment. Final assembly of the new playground equipment will be led by the Friends of Pu‘u Nui Park, who will be putting out a call soon for community volunteers to assist in the effort.

The public is asked to please stay out of the playground area until the new facility is completed, inspected, and officially opened for use. The park will remain open during the project. Park hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.