Naples City Council chooses company to rebuild Cambier Park playground

NAPLES, Fla. —

Naples families are one step closer to seeing a brand-new playground at Cambier Park after Naples City Council unanimously selected a company to move forward with the redesign project Wednesday.

City leaders voted to begin negotiations with PlayCore Wisconsin, Inc. after hearing presentations from three different playground companies competing for the project.

The playground at Cambier Park was shut down and later demolished after city officials determined the nearly 30-year-old structure was no longer safe for children. Officials previously said the playground had exceeded its expected lifespan and repairs were no longer enough to address safety concerns.

Wednesday’s meeting gave council members a chance to compare three different visions for the future playground before making a final selection.

The winning proposal featured a “Swiss Family Robinson”-inspired design filled with treehouse elements and Florida-themed features, including manatees, a snook tunnel and a massive artificial banyan tree designed to provide shade for families visiting the park.

During the presentation, company representatives highlighted the realism of the design and showcased examples of similar playgrounds already built.

Other proposals included more traditional playground layouts with slides, swings, music areas, climbing structures and nature-inspired play zones.

“It made me sad to see all of the old park gone,” said Naples resident Zofia Majewski. “But I was like, they must be doing something new, something cool for the kids.”

The city has budgeted approximately $2 million for the project.

The next step will be contract negotiations with PlayCore Wisconsin before the design and construction process can officially move forward.

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