Donations encouraged to fund for renovations to park acquired in 1893
By Christopher Martin
The past few weeks have brought a new look to Seerley Park: nothing is there, except the trees and grass.
The absences of the shelter house, playground equipment, and iconic diagonal sidewalk are all intentional. The City of Cedar Falls public works department has cleared out the park to ready it for its biggest makeover in more than 50 years.
By early May, Peterson Construction Corp., the city’s contractor, will begin the preparatory work, including grading down the steep slope on the park’s east perimeter. Construction fencing will be placed around the perimeter of the project. By the end of the project, estimated to be in September or October, the park will have a new ADA-compliant playground, a new gazebo park shelter, new signage, and a rebuilt diagonal walkway.
The project, identified as the “Play Together, Stay Together Seerley Park Renovation,” has been funded with grants and private gifts raised by the College Hill Partnership. Last fall, the CHP completed its $118,000 goal, which is roughly one-quarter of the project’s total cost. The CHP continues to raise funds for Phase II of the project, which would bring additional amenities to the park.
Seerley Park has always been College Hill’s neighborhood park. Created in 1893, the 2.3-acre park is the second oldest park in Cedar Falls.
The last renovation to the park was completed in the 1970s, a time when accessibility was, unfortunately, not considered. Children and adults with mobility issues found it difficult to access the park’s playground and shelter.
With this renovation, the city will add additional sidewalks that create more suitable access to both the playground and shelter for children and adults in wheelchairs, or using walkers, braces or dealing with visual challenges.
Along with easier access, stable surfaces and smooth ramp transitions will be added so all children can “play together” and “stay together” on safe, new ADA-compliant playground equipment. Attractive fencing around the playground will be added for added safety and peace of mind for parents.
The renovation also includes a new, multipurpose gazebo park shelter, with amenities for picnics, music performances, and other events, and an accessible design that fits with the historical nature of the park.
The Seerley Park renovation project, Phase I, has been funded by grants from the R.J. McElroy Trust, the Cedar Falls Community Foundation, the Max & Helen Guernsey Charitable Foundation, Impact Outdoors, the Cedar Falls Lions Club, the College Hill Partnership, dozens of private donors, and the City of Cedar Falls.
To help support Phase II of the park, citizens can make a tax-deductible one-time or recurring gift to the College Hill Partnership, at the account with the Cedar Falls Community Foundation: https://cfcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1429