GULF SHORES — Residents will see a new city playground by the end of this year replacing the 30-year-old structure currently in place.

After being deemed "due for replacement" in 2014 and receiving maintenance and upgrades throughout the years, the wooden Gulf Shores Kids Park is now in a state of rot — as Grant Brown, Gulf Shores director of recreation and cultural affairs, said at the March 16 city council work session — and is set to be replaced by the end of this year.

Leathers & Associates, the company behind the design and construction of the current playground, was unanimously approved at the March 23 council meeting to design the new playground.

In 1996, families were able to help with construction. Gulf Shores City Schools Board of Education President Kevin Corcoran said he still has a scar on his hand from it.

This time, the community will be involved in the design and preparation of the playground, but the actual construction will likely be completed by a hybrid of Leathers & Associates builders and city staff.

Community-led planning events are to be held in April and May.

"Hoping to get through the design and public input while the kids are still in school," Brown said at the March 23 meeting.

The cost of the design and public engagement portion is set to be $35,900. For the 2026 fiscal year, the City of Gulf Shores budgeted $950,000 for the replacement of the park.

Construction is set to start in August and wrap up by the end of November.

Brown said the project will be designed and constructed by Leathers & Associates in an amount not to exceed $940,000. The design of the park will be influenced by resident input. Gulf Shores City Schools students will be directly involved in the planning process.

Brown said it will be ADA approved and that the designers will work with families who have children with disabilities to ensure it reaches the needs of all Gulf Shores kids.