A downtown Bucksport playground dedicated to the memory of a local boy will get a big upgrade this year.
The town council on May 8 approved spending up to $299,999.99 on new equipment for Ian’s Playground, right under the cost threshold that would have required a townwide vote.
But it will cost less than that, according to the town’s economic development director, Rich Rotella, who said this week that the new price tag is $248,870.79.
The majority of that money – $202,000 – was already dedicated to the project using the rest of Bucksport’s pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act funds, town officials said last week. The remainder will come from the town’s recreation revenue account.
It’s a big step in a long effort to upgrade the centrally located playground named for Orland 4-year-old Ian Powell, who died in 2002. The playground opened on Elm Street near the town’s public schools 21 years ago.
A committee formed in early 2024 to come up with designs to replace the aging equipment, some of which has broken or been removed over the years. Part of the existing structure has been boarded up since April due to damage, according to the town.
The final design, chosen from seven different options with input from local students, is more accessible than the current equipment. It has several slides, built-in games, drums, climbing walls, a standalone climbing structure, a circular swing and monkey bars.
It should be open by mid-August, Rotella said. Councilors approved the design unanimously, commending him and the committee for bringing the project in under budget after earlier cost issues led them to question the future of the project.
