Suzette Cook
At first, the City of Archer was planning to build a gymnasium for the community. But after taking the cost and upkeep into account, the commission decided to change their plans.
“We started talking about upgrading the playground equipment at Wilson Robinson Park Archer City Manager Tony Hammond said about how the commission decided to spend funds from the Alachua County Wild Spaces Public Places initiative.
“We went to the county, and asked them to amend the contract to include a splash park and upgrade playground equipment.”
Hammond said the city also applied to the state and received $125,000 appropriation from the governor.
“We had $225,000 in public places funds and our portion of the match,” Hammond said.
The final plan includes the removal of the old metal playground and the relocation of the play space with new prefabricated equipment to be adjacent to the pavilion at the park.
And just south of the pavilion a splash park designed by Spray N Play out of Jacksonville will start going up in July.
“It will give the kids in this area something to do,” Hammond said.
The project was delayed due to the shutdown by the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the plans are set for the playground to be finished by the end of May and the splash park by the end of July or sooner, Hammond said.
And once those projects are complete, Hammond said the city is adding a dog park since the closest dog park to Archer is about 12 miles way.