Playground at Lakebottom Park gets some much needed attention

Lakebottom Park is looking a bit more kid friendly after a Parks and Recreation maintenance crew spent some time in the popular park on Thursday.

Parks and Recreation director Holli Browder deployed a crew to the park on Cherokee Avenue after some concerned residents pointed out some issues on social media over the past couple of weeks. Browder said she wasn’t aware of what some users had found in the park used by the young and the young at heart.

At the north end of the park near 18th Street, deep holes were beneath all the swings, forcing any little one to require more than a lift just to get seated in a swing. Over time, the surface beneath the swings was the victim of erosion or more active users kicking material from the set.

At one of the slides and playsets, one of four green steps was broken, leaving it turned at an angle if a child attempted to step on the surface. A grandmother, who takes her grandson to the park frequently to play on the equipment, said steps on the section had been broken recently.

By late Thursday, a work crew removed the broken step from the four-piece set that still has three good ones remaining. Crews hauled in quite a bit of fill material to cover the deep holes beneath swing sets and level the landing surfaces for all the swings. The material gave all the swings in the area a fresh look.

It’s quite obvious the park equipment gets plenty of work, not only from residents in the neighborhood but the entire region. Just one look at the vehicles along the street and you’ll quickly realize the 46-acre park serves Columbus, Phenix City and residents from Harris County.

It’s located in the heart of Midtown and has served the area since 1890 when it was originally called Wildwood Park and developed by John Flournoy’s Columbus Railroad Co. A shallow lake provided areas for swimming, fishing and boating. The lake featured islands and arched bridges connecting them.

Although much of the land remained for recreation, the city bought the park in 1924 in part as a site for Columbus High School. About two years later, the lake was drained, giving the park one of its two names. Signs posted by the Parks and Recreation Department identify the north end as Wildwood Park at Lakebottom and the south as Weracoba Park at Lakebottom.

Along with the playground for children, the park also includes fields for football, soccer, baseball, softball, track, tennis courts, basketball courts and a popular walking trail around its perimeter.

The city is approaching celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the park area and how much it has meant not only to the city but residents in other communities. It can last another 100 years if work crews remain responsive when normal wear and tear start to show.

If you have seen something that needs attention, give me a call.

This story was originally published November 18, 2017 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Playground at Lakebottom Park gets some much needed attention."