New site chosen for Cape County all-accessible playground

A site on the west end of Cape County Park North will be the definite location of Melaina's Magical Playland, as determined by several entities involved in a planning meeting held Tuesday at the Missouri Department of Conservation's Nature Center, located at the park.

A previous site near the park entrance for the $750,000 all-accessible playground and associated structures would have incurred additional costs related to hooking up restrooms with sewers, required extra lighting, lacked space for parking and would use too much green space. The new site is in the area of shelter Nos. 7 and 8.

Attending the meeting were county Commissioner Jay Purcell, who oversees the county's parks; Chris Buckland, grant administrator for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources; Andrea Cunningham, executive director of Melaina's Cunningham and Friends Park Fund, Inc.; Margaret Yates, grant administrator for the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission; Brian Sander, assistant park superintendent; Chris Koehler of Koehler Engineering; and Don McQuay, the county's building supervisor.

Purcell said the group will meet again next week to discuss details of the budget for the project.

Pertinent address:

Cape County Park North, Cape Girardeau, MO