Noah Johnson Daily Press Rec 2 - Residents are already heading to the beach as the weather warms up.

ESCANABA – Local recreation facilities are getting improvements this summer around Escanaba.

Escanaba Public Works and the Escanaba Recreation Department are currently undertaking several projects, including replacing equipment, landscaping, and enhancing local recreation options for residents.

Several city parks are getting new playgrounds soon, including Royce, Rose, Veterans, Sylvan Point and Stephenson Parks.

“All five playgrounds will be getting installed between July 8th and July 23rd,” said Escanaba Public Works Director Kent DuBord.

“All these parks are basically contributions on a handful of different grants.”

The previous playground equipment has been removed, with four sets sold through city auction and one donated to Baldwin Township.

“Some of them are going to go from one slide added to five slides; some are going to go from three slides up to five slides,” DuBord said.

In addition to installation, DuBord said the department will make cosmetic improvements to the parks.

“We want the appearance from the road to look a little bit better… So we’re going to move some stuff around,” he said.

Additionally, Rose, Royce and Westside Parks are getting expression swings so parents and their young children can swing together.

Westside will not get a new playground, but DuBord said the department will revisit that project next year.

As the NBA finals progress, many may be inspired to get and shoot around, and soon enough, they will get to with two revamped basketball courts.

The basketball courts in Ludington and Stephenson Parks are undergoing a much-needed remodel as the courts have begun to crack and deteriorate.

The court at Stephenson Park is awaiting final touches but should be ready by the end of this week.

“The fence was installed last week. The lines on the court and the rims will be put up this week, and the court will be ready to be used,” DuBord said.

Concrete was poured at the court in Ludington Park last week and is getting the final touches this week.

“Both courts will be usable by the end of this week,” he said.

Between the eight city parks, the department is also replacing 15 charcoal grills.

The beach, marina and the Escanaba Civic Center also received improvements, with the beach getting close to opening.

“We received a Hannahville 2% grant for new benches at the civic center and for the west door replacement,” Escanaba Recreation Director Kim Peterson said.

Lifeguards will be at the beach house this week to clean and organize the space, making it ready for the public.

“Depending on the weather, we will open 7 days a week – 12 to 7:00 p.m.,” Peterson said.

She said the department still has a lot of landscaping work to do and shared new developments and services for residents, including two new harbor buoys, additional security cameras, new signage, and dock repairs.

The department also purchased two three-wheel bikes for free check-out, and two new electrical pedestals.

Finally, the splash pad project at the former Webster Wading Pool is nearly ready for installation.

(The) splash park is waiting for the sprinklers, and we are ready to install when they are received,” Peterson said.

Officials said they appreciate the public’s continued patience as they work on several projects.

“It’s extremely important for the citizens and kids to stay out of the area until the playgrounds are completely assembled,” DuBord said.

Noah Johnson Daily Press
The basketball at Ludington Park has a new layer of concrete and is expected to be ready to use by the end of this week.