Dec. 10, 2025
VIROQUA, Wis. — After months of design work, fundraising and contract negotiations, the Viroqua City Council on Dec. 9 approved moving forward with a contract for the community-led reconstruction of the Eckhart Park playground, known locally as Dragon Park, and signaled an October 2026 build as the preferred timeline, while leaving room to attempt a May build if conditions allow.
“We’re at a key decision-making point tonight… There is a price involved here as well,” said City Administrator Nate Torres. “I would never put you in a position where you should sign a contract of this magnitude if you truly feel uncomfortable. But I do want you to also be aware that there is a price involved here as well.”
The council authorized staff and the city attorney to finalize terms with Play By Design for a vendor portion of $667,211, reflecting a volunteer-build credit, locking in pricing before expected annual cost increases. Torres noted the “global project budget” sits just under $780,000, covering site preparation, fencing, surfacing, contingencies and prior costs, according to staff.
“The current design… hasn’t changed since the last time we showed it to you,” said Parks and Recreation Director Kale Proksch. “If fundraising dollars don’t come in, [poured-in-place] would be the first [cut] and just make it all wood chips.”
Proksch said the design reflects community feedback and preserves trees in the footprint, while adding inclusive features such as a spinner, zip line, rope climber and poured-in-place (PIP) rubber surfacing in key areas. He noted Play By Design’s stakeout could lead to minor tweaks, but the plan is substantially set.
“We’re about $110,000 short… and that might be a little less if we can get the wood chips and some concrete donated,” said committee member Kim Littel. “We still have time and other fundraising efforts we plan to start later in January.”
On funding, staff and committee leaders described a patchwork of public and private support, including a $120,000 lead gift, a $375,000 Tax Incremental Finance District 6 allocation and roughly $133,000 in donations already banked, with new pledges narrowing the gap. In-kind donations, engineered wood fiber, concrete work and other materials, could further reduce cash needs.
The timeline debate centered on feasibility, safety and capacity. While a May build remains attractive for families eager to use the playground next summer, staff flagged spring field conditions, preconstruction tasks, volunteer coordination and city workload as major constraints. Torres acknowledged the pull toward an earlier date but urged pragmatism.
Mayor Justin Running emphasized that public safety and summer access were his primary concerns in timing the Dragon Park rebuild. He noted that delaying to fall could force the city into a difficult choice, keep aging equipment open through the busy summer months or invest in interim repairs that consume limited resources.
“I have concerns with us not doing it until the fall based on the condition of some of the equipment,” said Running, “So if we don’t tear it down in the spring, we’re either gonna have to get in there and fix some stuff… I would hate to see us go all summer without a playground.”
He also weighed the feasibility of a May build against the realities of spring conditions and staff capacity, framing May is ideal for families but likely impractical. He cautioned that pushing for May could be unfair to staff given weather and site-readiness constraints, even though it would maximize warm-weather use.
“I’d love to see it get done in the spring, because I think that’s just the best of both worlds,” said Running, “but it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to do it May… for all the reasons why we talked about.”
Running further warned against sunk costs, urging the city to avoid spending on temporary fixes if they ultimately delay or complicate the fall timeline. He pressed for clear-eyed planning around closure timing to keep the community safe without wasting funds.
“There might be some real issues with not doing it until October, in terms of either financial investment, or having to close early, or having to take out parts,” said Running. “I just want to be aware of what we’re going to have to do to make sure it’s safe throughout the summer.”
Finally, he supported giving the committee flexibility to close the playground earlier if needed to prevent unnecessary expenditures, prioritizing long-term value and safety over short-term convenience.
“Please don’t keep it open at the cost of… pouring good money after bad,” said Running, “Let’s make the call that avoids extra expense and keeps people safe.”
“I think we all want a very nice park done well and thoughtfully,” said Torres. “And I think giving a little bit of time helps accommodate.”
In the end, the council adopted a flexible approach. Deciding to sign now to lock in pricing, aim for May if readiness and weather align, and otherwise proceed in October without penalty per vendor assurances. The council had already voted previously to give design and fundraising committee the authority to make the decision on the timeline based on changing circumstances.
“If you feel that there’s no reason we should shoot for May, make an October date and just set to it; now’s your time,” said Torres.
The volunteer-build model remains central to cost savings and community ownership. The vendor outlined staffing needs of roughly 40 adult volunteers per shift across six build days, plus five skilled crew leaders, with flexibility under negotiation to spread skilled roles across shifts. The Eagles Auxiliary has committed to provide meals for volunteers at no cost, and the leadership team—Proksch, Littel, Steve Willis, Todd Spaeth and others—is recruiting both skilled and general volunteers while pursuing in-kind site work and storage options for early material shipments.
Preparations will ramp up in the months ahead: staff and the city attorney will finalize contract language around safety standards, warranties and code compliance; the committee will continue fundraising and in-kind outreach; and city crews will sequence site prep and storage logistics. As part of honoring the park’s legacy and reducing demolition costs, the committee may invite residents to safely remove select elements of the existing playground as keepsakes before teardown, subject to safety and scheduling.
“Long range… the playground will have to be shut down months ahead of when we rebuild it,” said Torres. “We don’t want to be pouring good money after bad on interim fixes.”
Mayor and council members praised the community leadership that shepherded the project through a vendor change, budget refinement and design revisions. “It’s been a long road, but we’re there,” said the chair. “Thank you to the committee and donors for sustained support.”
The decision caps a year of progress, shifting to Play By Design’s community-build model to control costs, integrating inclusive and accessible features based on resident input, and stitching together a financing plan from TID support, foundation grants, business contributions and private gifts.
The council also engaged in a lengthy discussion about the specific elements of the contract with PlayByDesign. Some the key points discussed included exactly what elements the city and the vendor would, and would not, be responsible for, and the ability to remain flexible enough to have volunteers donate tasks that could alter the budget and design. Many of those volunteer contributions are still in flux, so the decision making process becomes more complicated.
Contract Elements Discussed
- Vendor and pricing
- Play By Design “vendor portion” at $667,211.72 with a volunteer-build credit of $72,000; total project “global budget” just under $780,000 when including site prep, fencing, surfacing, contingencies, and prior costs.
- Scope and responsibilities
- City responsibilities: site grading and stakeout readiness, offloading/storing materials, site security, installing engineered wood fiber, and providing volunteer labor; builder’s risk insurance and permitting under city review.
- Volunteer model and labor expectations
- Baseline ask: ~40 adult volunteers per shift across three 4‑hour shifts/day (or two 6‑hour shifts/day option).
- “Five skilled crew leaders” for all shifts across six build days was flagged as too rigid; city seeking flexibility (allowing shared or split skilled roles) without penalties or price changes.
- Standards, warranties, and legal protections
- City attorney’s companion contract adds standard-of-care, safety, workmanship, warranty, negligence, insurance, code compliance, venue, and termination provisions; vendor’s attorney requested clarity on safety equipment and applicable codes, which staff are addressing.
- Pricing lock and schedule
- Urgency to sign to avoid annual material increases; no penalty to shift from May to October if needed, with intent to reflect date flexibility in the agreement.
Concerns raised:
- Feasibility and staffing
- Spring (May) build strains Parks/Rec operations amidst seasonal workload; uncertainty about volunteer and preconstruction readiness under tight spring timelines.
- Safety and interim operations
- Risk of leaving the aging structure open through summer vs. investing in temporary fixes; concern about “pouring good money after bad” if fall is chosen.
- Contract clarity and flexibility
- Desire to avoid past contract ambiguities; need explicit flexibility on skilled leaders and schedule shifts without penalties; ensure warranties, safety standards, and code compliance are enforceable.
- Budget and value engineering
- Fundraising gap narrowing (approx. $110K at meeting time) with options to defer or cut elements (fence, PIP surfacing, second zipline) if needed; preference not to cut features important for accessibility and community priorities.
- Logistics and storage
- If October build, city may store shipped materials longer; identifying adequate storage and understanding shipment volumes remains a detail to finalize.
In the end the council approved proceeding with Play By Design at $667,211 for the vendor portion, contingent on final legal review, and selected October as the target community build while keeping May as an aspirational option should readiness milestones and conditions align. As Torres framed the moment, the city is choosing a park “done well and thoughtfully,” even if that means giving the project “a little bit of time” to ensure success.
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