Photos: An early look at the new Wilson Park playgrounds

Work on the larger playground at Wilson Park is nearing completion.

Photos: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer

Visitors to Wilson Park can now get a closer look at the renovation work taking place near downtown Fayetteville.

Two of the three new play areas are complete and are no longer fenced off to the public, including the new musical playground and the smaller play structure designed for children ages 2 to 5.

Construction of the larger playground is mostly complete, but isn’t yet open for fun.

The work began in February as part of a larger project that also includes several parking infrastructure improvements. The project is funded in part by a $150,000 Arkansas Outdoor Recreation Grant, while the musical playground comes courtesy of a $30,000 donation from longtime local developer Fadil Bayyari.

The project included complete demolition and replacement of the 20-year-old playground equipment that included separate structures for younger and older children. The new playground also includes age-specific structures, but the two areas are closer to each other.

The adjacent parking lot and entry drive are also receiving upgrades. Asphalt on the western-most entry drive off Prospect Street has been removed and replaced with a one-way drive from Prospect to the parking lot. Concrete curb and gutter was added to the drive and the northwest side of the parking lot to help contain parking and redirect stormwater. The new drive features five designated parking spaces on the west side and the lot will be striped for parking.