Inflatable Rats Can't Stop Washington Park Project

Neighbors living near Washington Park, at Poplar and May streets, can rest assured they will be enjoying a brand new playground with their kids very soon. The presence of union picketers at the site in June and early July had some wondering if work had been stopped or delayed.

"The presence of picketers has, in no way, affected the project," Elmhurst Park District Executive Director Jim Rogers said Monday. "On the contrary, our contractor actually completed the installation of the playground equipment a bit more quickly than either they or we expected."

Work is continuing on other aspects of the project, including paving for the new handicap-accessible path near the parking lot, he said.

The soft surface under the playground is scheduled to be poured today, Wednesday, by another contractor, followed by restoration and landscape work, he said.

"We continue to anticipate that the new playground will be open by the end of August," Rogers said.