The Stuart Lawbaugh City Park will be getting an upgrade thanks to a grant from the Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation and the Guthrie County Community Foundation.

The City recently received $20,000 to replace the main playground structure at the park. Stuart Economic Development Director Kristen Renslow says she first approached the city council about giving a matching dollar amount of $10,000 for new equipment, but the Council considered the importance of enhancing the park and doubled the amount. Renslow shares why updating the playground equipment was a need, “Well, safety would be the first issue with a 30-year-old wood structure, you know there’s splinters and things are breaking and also the upkeep. So plastic is more of a material that’s used nowadays, so with an updated material with the plastic it has a better maintenance and just a better shelf life.”

Renslow says she will be bringing playground designs to the Council this month for final approval. She hopes for the new playground to be installed by this fall.