New Dimmick Park Playground’s Opening Targeted for Early June

If you’ve been wondering what all the earth-moving in the southeast corner of Hellertown’s Dimmick Park is for, your mind has been read.

The construction that’s now taking place is for a new playground that will be finished and ready for use in early June, weather-permitting.

Borough council president Tom Rieger confirmed that target opening date on Monday.

The state-of-the-art playground has a price tag of just over $500,000 and will be larger and safer than the old one was, officials say.

It will have a waist-level fence surrounding it and feature different types of age-specific playground equipment (such as equipment specifically designed for use by 2- to 5-year-old children), in addition to being handicapped-accessible via paths and a new parking area.

There will also be new safety surfacing and–unlike before–sidewalk access to and from the playground, which is near Constitution Avenue.

Funding for the project was provided by grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program: and the County of Northampton Community Development Block Grant Program.

The start of major construction on the playground is just the latest news for Dimmick Park.

Last week a new living sign that spells “Hellertown” was planted in front of the Dimmick Park bandshell following a successful “Adopt-a-Bush” campaign spearheaded by Mayor David Heintzelman.

Nearly 100 Emerald Gem boxwoods adopted by local individuals and businesses were planted to create the unique sign in front of one of the borough’s most recognizable summertime landmarks.