Sept. 29, 2025
VIROQUA, Wis. — After months of back and forth between the city of Viroqua and residents over plans to renovate the “Dragon Park” in the city’s Eckhart Park there seems to be a path forward that all sides can agree on. Viroqua City Council has approved a shift in design partners for the highly anticipated renovation of Eckhart Enchantment playground, known locally as Dragon Park, officially moving forward with Play By Design. The decision, based on a recommendation from the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee, comes after extensive public feedback calling for a design that preserves the beloved wooden character of the original structure.
The 29-year-old playground, a cherished landmark built in 1996 through a massive community effort, is slated for replacement due to safety concerns over deteriorating wooden features, including rotted support posts. The play structure is located inside Eckhart Park and gets its common name from a large wooden dragon feature.
Project History and Timeline
The path to the current design has been a multi-year effort marked by shifting partnerships and significant community involvement.
• Initial Planning: Several years ago , the Viroqua Park and Recreation Department began researching how to replace the aging structure due to safety concerns. The city initially partnered with Leathers and Associates, the firm that designed the original 1996 park, hoping to replicate the design and the successful community-build model. Volunteer and leadership committees were formed to guide the project and fundraiser.
• February 2025: The city and its committees cut ties with Leathers and Associates, citing high costs, poor response times for design changes, and shifting demands for the community labor portion of the project. Committee members expressed extreme frustration with the company. Park and Rec Director Kale Proksch voiced concerns about the feasibility of the community-build aspect, stating, “This is overwhelming for me… I don’t know if we can do this in our community. Again, we’re a small community”
• February – June 2025: Following the split, the city began working with a Cambridge, Wisconsin-based company, Lee Recreation. Several proposed designs were developed with costs ranging from $450,000 to $680,000.
• June 11, 2025: At a public feedback meeting, residents voiced significant pushback against the modern metal and plastic designs proposed by Lee Recreation. Approximately 16 people, mostly parents and grandparents, spoke, with nearly all asking the city to reconsider, pause the process, or find a way to preserve the park’s character..
• July 15, 2025: In response to the public feedback, the Parks and Rec Committee held another public information meeting to review revised plans aimed at addressing resident concerns..
• September 2, 2025: The city unveiled two new design options at a public meeting, one an updated design from Lee Recreation and a new one from Play By Design. The Play By Design proposal was overwhelmingly favored by the public..
Community Concerns and Design Feedback
You can read our previous story about residents concerns about and earlier design here.
Public input has been a driving force in the project’s evolution. An online survey with 273 responses highlighted that the top two favorite things about the current park are its trees and shade, and the separate areas for different age groups. Top priorities for a new park included a zip line, swings, and climbing activities.
During the June public meeting, residents expressed several key concerns about the initial Lee Recreation designs
• Materials and Character: Many felt the proposed modern structure did not represent Viroqua’s brand or the unique, imaginative character of the original wooden park. “What I see right now with Dragon Park is a park that really represents Viroqua,” said resident Michael Browne. “I don’t feel like what I see here represents the brand that Viroqua is today”.
• Mature Trees: There was strong opposition to losing any of the mature shade trees within the park’s footprint. Committee members and city staff assured residents they were working with an arborist to save as many trees as possible while prioritizing safety.
• Fencing: The lack of a continuous fence in the new designs was a major concern for parents, who valued the security of the current enclosed space, especially given its proximity to a state highway.
• Play Elements: Speakers felt the new designs lacked the same range of “imaginative” play elements for all ages that the current park offers.
Residents give positive feedback on new design
At the Sept. 2 Park and Recreation Committee meeting residents were able to give their feedback on the revised design and for the most part expressed appreciation that the city and the park redesign leadership team took the time to listen to resident concerns.
“I think the second design is a great middle ground and a great compromise,” said Monica Matos “One thing that was mentioned early on was Viroqua’s brand, and I think the second design definitely is more in keeping with that.”
“I think this second design from play by design to echo what Kim was saying really is true to the spirit of what the community is looking for,” said Emily Grantham.
“I just wanted to say, I really appreciate hearing and seeing what I see today… and I just wanted to say thank you for bringing in another design partner, being open to hearing the community’s feedback, and being more proactive with getting the information out there to everybody,” said Viroqua resident Michael Browne.
“Thank you all for your work on this. I want to echo what some people have said here… I’m just really grateful that everybody has shown up and been part of this process.” said Krista Browne. “So thank you all for your work and your time.”
“Thank you so much,” said Gregory Splinter. “Very appreciative for the process and Steve, for your leadership… people on the committee, you know, Kim (Littel), particularly… being open enough to say, well, let’s try something else. So thank you so much.”
Viroqua Park and Rec Director Kale Proksch and the design leadership team said the design still has tweaks and minor changes but they are on there way to a final design.
Moving Forward
With the council’s approval to move forward with Play By Design, the leadership team is now focused on fundraising and finalizing a timeline. The estimated cost for the structure is $746,000, with a potential $75,000 discount if a “community build” is organized. This build would be smaller in scale than the original, requiring about 40 volunteers per day.
The project’s fundraising efforts recently received a $1,000 grant from the Power of 100+ Driftless Region. The leadership team is exploring partnerships with local groups like the Lions and Eagles to assist with a community build. Demolition and construction are hoped to begin in the spring, though this is dependent on finalizing plans and fundraising. Committee member Kim Littel stressed the urgency of the project due to the current park’s deteriorating condition.
“The unsaid thing is that, yes, there’s no doubt we could pause and do other things, but in the meantime, the park is becoming unsafe,” said Littel. “And it is realistic, if we take that pause, that the park would be not available at all because there are too many things that are wrong and it’s becoming a safety hazard, so that they would have to take it down and just be without a park. We need to keep moving”.
More information about the Eckhart Enchantment Playground project can be found on the City of Viroqua Parks and Recreation Department page.
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