COLUMBUS, Ind. — Updates to The Commons’ indoor James A. Henderson Playground are still underway, but the completion date has been pushed back.
While the city had previously hoped to finish the project in March, late spring may be the new finish line, Commons officials said.
There have been some delays in acquiring materials and shipping timelines due to the recent winter weather, Commons manager Shanda Sasse said. The pandemic has also had some effect on these logistics.
However, The Commons expected there to be some changes during the project and has worked to keep up “forward motion,” she said.
“We, of course, want to open as soon as we are able to,” she said. “We miss our guests. We miss hearing the sound and the excitement of the kids headed down the hall, towards the playground. So we’re really looking forward to that. It looks like the project probably will be complete in late spring.”
Sasse said that PLAYTIME LLC, the main contractor, has had some of its people on-site, with a subcontractor working on elements that include millwork and flooring. Work on the flooring is continuing now, she said.
“It’s the pour-in-place flooring, which has to be mixed on-site,” she said. “And then they bring it inside, and they put it in place. And then there’s a sealant that will be applied to that. And then following that is the curing process, which takes about two weeks.”
Once the flooring installation is complete, workers expect to receive a few more deliveries of new equipment that will be added to the playground.
While there have been some very minor challenges with the project, PLAYTIME has been “beyond professional and very creative” in helping solve them, Sasse said.
“If there was a roadblock, they’ve helped us find a solution that is going to work really well,” she said. “… It’s been a really great working relationship with PLAYTIME and all of our partners.”
Sasse said that The Commons will be following state and county COVID-19 guidelines as it makes a decision about when to re-open. At present, the facility is largely closed to the public, with the exception of rental events.
