ABC-7 Listens: Why are the slides blocked in Mundy Park?

The playground equipment at Mundy Park in the Sunset Heights neighborhood has been quiet lately.

There have been no children running through the sand, laughing as they swing on the monkey bars or slip down the slides.

The playground has likely been empty of kids for weeks, especially since the playground slides have been blocked.

“We noticed in late fall that we had some cracks that had developed on the slides,” said Steve Lunsford, the superintendent for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. “The best thing, for safety reasons, was to block the entrance to the slides and start looking for some replacement components.”

Lunsford told ABC-7 that the cracking isn’t unusual considering the equipment is 25 years old. But what is unusual is the length of the closure.

“In this particular case, it took some time working with the vendor to find some replacement slides that they are still being manufactured or they have in stock,” he said, adding that the slides needed to come from the original manufacturer to ensure they were compatible and would not compromise child safety.

The city hopes to have the new slides installed in the next six to eight weeks. Lunsford also hopes to have the sand surrounding the playground replaced with a different surface at the same time of the slide installation.

To report damage to park equipment, call (915) 212-0092 or (915) 212-8017.