Leamington Council awards tender for Rick Atkin Park upgrades

Leamington Council has awarded the refurbishing of Rick Atkin Park to Barrineti Construction. The bid came in at $1.75 million and was the lowest of three bids.

A new improved washroom facility is the biggest improvement involved in the refurbishing, along with making the promenade more accessible from the Marina parking lot.

In addition, a brand new nautical-themed wooden playground set has been ordered to replace the current pirate ship-themed one.

Leamington’s Director of Public Works, Ken Brown, told council that the project will be about $389,000 over budget, funded through development charges and the waterfront reserve.

Brown said that wooden playground structures are much harder to find now and the new one will be about 10 feet longer than the existing one, made of Robinia wood, which comes with a 15-year warranty.

Work is expected to get underway in the coming weeks, with completion of the amenities by the end of 2024 and the playground installation expected to take place next spring.