Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Department Director Tim Pigg said after months of delay, the county’s newest park playground and pavilion are ready for the public to enjoy.
The Parks Department, along with the Port Authority, will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Friday to celebrate the opening of the features at Kimmswick Park, 5900 Mississippi St. The 20-acre park already had a 1-mile nature trail, picnic tables and restrooms.
Pigg said the park’s latest attributes will attract more people to the small town of Kimmswick, known for its boutique shops, restaurants and annual festivals.
“Anything we can do to improve the area will help those businesses,” Pigg said. “That’s what it’s all about. People who come to visit those businesses also now have the opportunity to enjoy the park.”
The playground was completed in early March, Pigg said.
He said the county paid PlayPower LT Farmington about $70,000 to build and install the playground – a two-tiered, boat-themed playground with two slides and a swing set.
The county hired Integra Inc. in St. Charles in 2023 to design and build the 30-by-22-foot metal pavilion for $176,925. In spring 2024, an additional $12,926 was approved for Integra to remove unstable soil from the site of the pavilion, Pigg said.
“The soil (at the park site) holds water and it gets really mushy,” he said. “You’ve got to get that out of there or you’ll have problems in the future with the pavilion. It cost a little bit more money to put that in, but it’s a solid foundation now. It’s good to go.”
The pavilion was finished last fall, Pigg said.
He said county crews also removed an old brick boathouse from the park, which will make the area safer for visitors. There were delays in the removal of the structure because the county needed to gain permission from various state and environmental agencies.
“We brought it down because it really was an unattractive nuisance and we were worried, safety-wise,” Pigg said. “We cleaned the area up, and I think it looks a lot better.”