Duncan Park Update 2018
2017 was a big year at Duncan Park. Though we had some setbacks and delays, we were able to make significant progress towards making Duncan Park a community amenity for all. Thanks to all the dedicated volunteers who have chipped in to make this project happen, we could not do it without you.
- We painted the surface of the former basketball court at Duncan Park with Donnie Freyer, brightening up the space and opening it up for deck hockey and four-square
- We built a sensory garden on the hillside at Duncan Park, it’s currently planted with a few species with more to come in the Spring
- We hosted three kids gardening workshops and a harvest party at Duncan Park
- We were awarded the Best Block award from the City of Pittsburgh. This went to an exceptional Love Your Resilient Block project in 2017, and comes with $3000. We are putting the funds towards play equipment in 2018
- We completed a maintenance agreement with the City of Pittsburgh, which lays the groundwork for our projects in 2018
Maintenance Agreement
LU has finalized a maintenance agreement with the City of Pittsburgh, Department of Public Works. This agreement has been a long time coming, and outlines the responsibilities of LU and DPW with respect to the site. It enables us to do all of the work we’ve set for ourselves after several community meetings. These improvements include a playscape and rain garden. While some of these projects will take place this year, others will have to wait a while before we can raise additional funds to take them on.
Playscape
We plan to get the slide done this year! The hold up on this has been the Maintenance Agreement; DPW has agreed to let this and other pieces of playscape equipment be a part of the project. $10,000 has been set aside for us by City Council for playscape equipment through the Neighborhood Needs fund. The slide has been quoted to us at $15,000, we plan to close the gap with additional fundraising.
Additional pieces of play equipment include a willow tunnel, a small hillside cave, and stepping logs, and other items. We have some funds through grants like the Enterprise Community Partners Collaborative Action grant, and the City’s Best Block award.
Rain Garden
PWSA, City Legal and DPW are working to finalize maintenance responsibilities for green infrastructure projects. This would allow us to finally move forward with installing a rain garden at Duncan Park in 2018.
Thanks to Councilwoman Deb Gross and the Lawrenceville Tree Tenders for all their help with this project. Thanks to the City of Pittsburgh Office of Community Affairs, Enterprise Community Partners, Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority, and PittServes for supporting our work.
Special thanks to Marcelle Newman, Director Mike Gable, and Tom Paulin at the Department of Public Works. And finally thanks to all the volunteers who have worked hard to create a vibrant space for kids and adults alike.