Parks packed with play: Allen invests over $8M in playground improvements

Investments in parks planned across Allen will replace three playground structures with new equipment, including a themed playground at Celebration Park.

The 25-year-old playground will be redeveloped and feature inclusive elements, Director of Parks and Recreation Kate Meacham said. Other playground replacements are coming to Bradford Crossing Park and Quail Run Park, aligning with the department’s cadence of completing two playground replacements each year, she said.

Allen resident Heather Casey said her daughter identifies local playgrounds by their themes, including Lost Creek Park’s bumblebee-themed playground.

“I love how many parks there are [in Allen]. There are five parks within five minutes of our house,” Casey said.

The framework

Meacham said the department works to give the city’s park system a “sense of identity,” including through the use of themed playgrounds that are strategically dispersed throughout the city. They often gain a new name based on their theme, such as Waterford Park being called the “rocket ship park,” she said.

“It helps people get out and explore and see different parts of the city that they may not have naturally gone [to],” she said. “It’s a draw for those kiddos to be able to say they want to go to the rocket ship park.”

The Parks and Recreation Department proactively pursues community input for larger projects like Celebration Park, Meacham said, noting that feedback sparked the addition of a zip line element for the Celebration Park playground plan.

While the Allen Parks and Recreation board follows the city council’s directives when assessing park projects, they also look to garner feedback from the community regarding what they’d like to see at parks, board chair Luke Hollingsworth said. Recent community feedback for playgrounds has centered around inclusivity and accessibility elements as well as shading, he said.

As Allen approaches build-out, city officials are focusing on investing in existing community assets like playgrounds, rather than planning new amenities, Allen Mayor Baine Brooks said

“When you have something nice, you have to invest in it,” he said. “That's what we do with our parks, our trails, with our roads and with our infrastructure. We are at a point where a lot of reinvesting is very important, and that's what we're doing.”

1. Bradford Crossing Park

• Project: Playground replacement
• Update: Fabrication is underway.
• Location: 1405 Bradford Trace Drive, Allen
• Timeline: Opening in early fall
• Cost: $600,000
• Funding source: Allen Community Development Corp.

• Project: Playground replacement and expansion with shade
• Update: The playground is currently under construction.
• Location: 902 Pelican Drive, Allen
• Timeline: Opening in early summer
• Cost: $400,000
• Funding source: Park development fees

3. Celebration Park

• Project: Replacement of an inclusive playground and splashpad
• Update: The playground is currently in conceptual design.
• Location: 701 N. Angel Parkway, Allen
• Timeline: Projected opening in 2.5 years
• Cost: $5 million
• Funding source: Allen Community Development Corp.

4. Allen Station Park

• Project: Playground replacement and expansion with shade, site improvements and addition of a spray mister
• Update: The project is completed.
• Location: 1120 N. Cedar Drive, Allen
• Timeline: Opened May 2025
• Cost: $1.7 million
• Funding source: Allen Community Development Corp.

• Project: Playground replacement
• Update: The project is completed.
• Location: 1525 Charleston Drive, Allen
• Timeline: Opened early 2026
• Cost: $600,000
• Funding source: Allen Community Development Corp.

Meacham said themed playgrounds may not always cost more than a typical playground, but the process does take longer to create. Allen Landscape Architect Laura Cuellar has completed more than 20 playground projects in the 12 years she has worked for the city of Allen, including multiple themed playgrounds.

Cuellar said themed playgrounds have risen in popularity within the playground industry, but that having a landscape architect on staff to design playgrounds is less common.

“We are thoroughly invested, and we actually work on the design and have specific ideas of what we want to do. ... That really plays a big part into why we have unique parks,” she said.

One of the city’s first themed playgrounds at Green Park features a first responder theme due to its proximity to Fire Station No. 4, which Cuellar said has drawn out community members to have themed birthday parties at the park.

“We didn't anticipate ... the impact it would have,” Cuellar said of the Green Park theme. “Kids love to have birthday parties there, they do a lot of fire station-themed parties or police-themed parties.”

New playground design trends and industry standards also feature increased accessibility features that offer more inclusive opportunities at playgrounds, Cuellar said. Inclusivity upgrades often turn to increased ramping for wheelchair accessibility but also include features such as sensory walls and activity panels that are more widely accessible than playground elements such as climbing features.

“We can provide them better playgrounds now than we could so many years ago,” Cuellar said.

The desire for inclusive playgrounds was present in Allen decades ago, Allen Parks Foundation President Jim Waldbauer said.

The foundation was established largely in part to support the development of the Kidmania playground, an accessible playground, at Celebration Park, he said.

“That's a great project. It was, it still is,” Waldbauer said. “Everybody knows about Kidmania. It's got quite a reputation, so we're really proud of that.”

Some context

The city’s process to implement equipment replacements follows the expected lifespan of playground equipment, Meacham said. The lifecycle of a playground includes:

• Design: typically 3-6 months, up to 9 months for custom designs
• Fabrication: typically 2–4 months, about 6 months for custom designs
• Construction: 1–2 months
• Debut: The playground opens as soon as possible after construction
• Routine inspections: Park technicians assess the playground frequently. Official playground inspections occur monthly.
• Lifespan: As playgrounds approach the 15–20‑year mark, staff begins evaluating their condition, reviewing maintenance history and determining replacement needs. Longevity varies depending on manufacturer, use levels, wear and tear, maintenance, and any vandalism.
• Replacement: The typical lifespan of a playground is 15–20 years, though some equipment lasts up to 25 years.

Investing in playground replacements supports aging infrastructure within the city’s already “mature” park system, Meacham said.

Meacham said department officials assess the park system through the Trust for Public Land’s 10-Minute Walk program, which evaluates accessibility, the organization’s website states.

“We're constantly evaluating to add land to be able to close those gaps of where we are within the 10-minute walk,” Meacham said.

Jason Cooley, executive director of the Allen Community Development Corp., said it’s important for residents to have opportunities for outdoor recreation in their own city.

“One of the biggest pieces of quality of life that we talk about is the ability for Allen residents not to have to leave Allen to have those experiences,” he said.

The corporation, which is funded by a voter-approved half-cent sales tax, has spent the majority of its funding on parks projects, Cooley said. Park costs are also funded through park development fees charged to developers with projects in Allen, along with bond funds approved by voters.

Brooks said parks and playgrounds are also important to the business community as they attract employers.

“When you're bringing these people to town, and you're showing them Allen, and you're showing the parks and trails, as an employer, that's important,” he said.

“Whether it's parks or trails or facilities or programs or ... even making sure the medians are looking great, you look for a community where you feel good being there,” Meacham said. “Parks [are] ... one of those tangible things that people can see and feel.”

The outlook

An update is slated for the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan later this year, including updates to the city’s playground system, Meacham said. An update is also slated for the city’s Trail Master Plan this summer, she said.

The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan details the city’s existing parks system, a parks needs assessment and public input data. While the plan reflects a 10-year period, Meacham said the department reassesses the plan every five years to reflect rapid changes within the community and to stay ahead.

Department officials are also planning to work on an online tool to help community members learn about playground features and accessibility elements at Allen parks as part of the master planning process, Meacham said.

Meacham said officials plan to engage young Allen residents in the process.

“We’re going to be engaging with youth as it pertains to the fun value of playgrounds,” she said.