The opening of the Magical Bridge Playground at Red Morton Park in Redwood City has been pushed back several months due to a few project delays, according to the Magical Bridge Foundation, which posted an project update to its Facebook page.
Originally slated to open to the public late this year, the new target timeline for the playground’s opening is early 2019, the organization said.
The project’s first phase, which launched in November last year, involved working with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to move a large power transformer from the project site as well as underground the overhead utility cables. Work has also involved converting a dirt lot near the playground for an expanded parking lot, and drainage at the site.
“Tackling a compliant drainage plan has been a difficult obstacle in this very flat site given the strict guidelines to keep and treat rainwater on the property without tying into the existing culvert,” according to the Foundation. “This obstacle has been resolved.”
The Foundation now aims for City Council to approve a construction bid for the project at the end of June.
The Magical Bridge Playground was first developed in Palo Alto as a playground that is socially inclusive for children and adults of varying physical and cognitive abilities, including the autistic population, cognitively challenged, visually and hearing impaired, physically limited and the elderly. The Foundation’s first such playground was built in Palo Alto in 2015, and future playgrounds are not only coming to Redwood City but also Sunnyvale and Morgan Hill.
While the city is contributing $1.5 million toward renovating the park and existing playground, the Foundation raised about $1.8 million in funds.
