Allegheny County and municipal officials celebrated the new improvements to Deer Lakes Park on Tuesday.
At 1.5 acres and including an existing spray park, the new playground is the largest play area in the county parks system.
Work started early last September on the $850,000 project. The former playground and 12,000 square feet of parking lot and driveway were demolished to make room for the facility.
The new playground features play areas for toddlers to teens, including rope and rock climbing. There are new shade trees, native landscape plantings, green space and seating, too.
A shelter was added.
A second phase, set to start late this year or early in 2018, will include more picnic areas, green infrastructure to capture stormwater runoff from the park's parking lot and flush restrooms.
“I'm very excited to see so many new features in Deer Lakes,” county council Vice President Nick Futules said. “This park has long been a hub of activity in this part of the county, and with these new additions it will continue to be.
“We are looking forward to Phase 2 beginning and having even more amenities for the residents of this community that will benefit from them for years to come.”
Deer Lakes Park has received numerous improvements over the past 18 months, including the installation of a new shade structure, restroom and exercise equipment at the universal playground near the Minnow shelter; the management of vegetation growth at the lakes to create a healthier lake ecosystem; the addition of path and landscape improvements, including new benches along the lakes; and providing electricity to the Trout and Minnow shelters.
The more than $2 million in upgrades come from a park improvement fund that was set up when the county entered into an agreement with Range Resources for off-site extraction of natural gas beneath the park, as well as revenue from that gas.
