Dayton residents have a new reason to head outside and plenty of new ways to play.
The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 15 for its new pickleball courts, new playground equipment, repaved and improved basketball courts and improved buildings at Gil Lynn Park, located at 203 Greendevil Drive in Dayton.
The city has invested more than $500,000 in capital improvements to the park over the summer. Most of this funding came from the city’s park tax, with additional help from Dayton Independent Schools for the new playground equipment, which cost $200,000.
The city charges an ad valorem tax of .05 cents on each $100 of assessed valuation on real property, which goes directly to the Dayton Park Board Fund. The fund raises about $100,000 per year.
“Kids, this park is yours,” Baker said at the ribbon-cutting. “It belongs to you. It’s a place to dream big, make some friends, and have a lot of fun. To our adults and seniors, the pickleball courts are proof that you never stop playing, learning and having a little bit of competition.”
The new playground equipment includes a larger swing set, climbing dome, spinner, a small play structure for toddler-aged children and a tri-level tower play structure for older children.
Baker said that because of its proximity to the high school and elementary school, the school district and its students are the heaviest users of the park. The high school baseball and softball teams play their home games on fields at Gil Lynn Park. In addition, the schools use the park for gym classes, recesses, and special events, and students also use the park after school and on weekends.
In April, the city unveiled a GaGa Pit, a fast-paced, dodgeball-style game played in an octagonal pit with walls, at the park.
The breakdown of the Gil Lynn Park improvements include:
- Construction of four pickleball courts ($145,000)
- Replacement of playground equipment ($200,000)
- Resurfacing basketball courts ($40,000)
- GaGa Pit ($4,000)
Dayton Independent Schools contributed $100,000 toward the construction of new playground equipment. Much of the existing equipment was about 25 years old and in poor condition.
“I just think it’s so imperative for schools and cities to meet together just to talk about what we can do to just make things better for our youth,” said Dayton Independent Schools Superintendent Rick Wolf at the GaGa Pit unveiling. “I mean, that’s why we’re here, right? I just think it’s so impactful.”
Baker said he believes the new park improvements will also attract families from outside Dayton to the park, which is located next to two hiking and biking trails on the Ohio River that are part of the 11.5-mile Riverfront Commons trail system in Northern Kentucky.
“Dayton has always been a place where families come together, neighbors look out for each other, and we take pride in our city and the spaces that we call home,” Baker said.
