Hayward Park makes progress toward new spray park, other additions

Hayward Park is on track to be done later this summer, and excitement is growing in the neighborhood and at adjacent Hayward Elementary. 

Construction on the park “is going really well. They’re making a lot of progress every day,” Principal Derek Maasser said. “Something new is added or changed every day, and the kids are getting really excited about it.”

Maasser said the spray park, which will resemble other spray parks in the area like the one at Midco Aquatic Center, is well underway, with sand already in the ground and rock coming soon. Even the students in the Summer Academy at Hayward Elementary are noticing the changes, he said.

“We’ve got about 200 to 250 kids in the building most days this summer, and they ask me every day about that big hole in the ground,” Maasser said.

Park development specialist Tory Miedema said seeing the progress on construction has brought an excitement to the community after the design was finalized in February.

“We are really happy with the progress so far. As good as it looks on paper during design, it just takes a new life when the construction starts and you can see the different features starting to take shape,” Miedema said.

Maasser said the timeline for construction is on track, with the park set to open sometime in mid- to late August. 

Not only will the improvements to the park feature a splash pad, a walking loop and a new playground, it also will have a dog park, which Maasser said families in the neighborhood are excited to start using.

“The dog park especially is going to be really nice for families around here. A lot of them have dogs and just don’t have a big-enough yard for them to play in.”

Miedema said he is excited to see how the park’s opening and upgrades will help shape the community around Hayward Elementary.

“We definitely see the kids watching the progress daily, just waiting for everything to open,” he said. “We really feel the park renovation will reinvigorate the neighborhood and provide an exciting place to come together.”