CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Fulton Construction began a nearly $250,000 project renovation project at Water's Edge Park this afternoon.
The City of Corpus Christi announced Water's Edge playground, which was dedicated in April 2018, will be closed for repairs until March to replace the surface underneath the playground.
Parks and Recreation spokesperson Lisa Oliver said wear-and-tear and weather conditions require the "fall-zone safety area" to be fixed.
"It's that kind of spongey stuff and it was starting to break down a little bit," said Linda Harrison, who brings her grandson to the park to play. "It wasn't anything that would interfere with the kids playing or anything like that."
Fulton Coastcon installed the foundations for the playground equipment, said Oliver, while Exerplay, Inc. installed the fall-zone protection surface and playground equipment.
Fulton Construction told KRIS 6 News on Monday afternoon that insufficient drainage between the concrete pad and the fall-zone protection area when it was built is the cause of the safety area material's decay.
The sitting water has caused parts of the surface to collapse, so essentially there are potholes in the play area.
David Rodriguez brings his three-year-old granddaughter to Waters Edge Park frequently, and said he has noticed the uneven surface.
"The holes, the little potholes -- It's the weather you know?" Rodriguez said. "The weather comes and goes and the water stays on it."
Oliver said in an email that the fixes will include pouring new concrete on top of the existing subsurface. The fall-zone protection surface will be a newer product placed on top of the new concrete slab.
Those who frequently use the playground, such as Harrison and her grandson, hope the new surface will last longer than it did last time.
"I would certainly think so because we pay a lot of taxes down here," she said. "The tax base is very high."
Oliver said the life expectancy of the new surface is 10 years.
Kids Place at Cole Park is nearby, for those looking for an alternative until the park reopens in mid-March.
