LEWISTON — City officials and neighbors of Sunnyside Park will kick off a playground renovation project with a groundbreaking at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the park at the corner of Winter and Whipple streets.

Neighbors and city officials began looking for ways to clean up the park two years ago, forming the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association. The neighborhood includes the streets south of the Riverside Cemetery and between Main Street and the Androscoggin River. The area includes a 16-acre green space that runs up to the river.

The group has worked with city staff to design the restored playground.  The park will be getting about $45,000 worth of work. That includes $25,000 from Lewiston’s Community Development Block Grant fund in addition to a $20,000 grant from the LA Fund.

Fund Trustee Martin Eisenstein said the fund recognized the project as a special one for Lewiston.

“The parents in the community really wanted this, and they’ve worked hard to get it,” Eisenstein said. “We’ve found that kind of support to be a key part of making a project like this a success going forward.”

The refurbished park will include new swing sets, a see-saw, a climbing structure and a multiple-function play structure. Eisenstein said he expects the park to become a focal point for the community.

“There are already several parks in this community that are not taken care of because the neighbors just don’t have any interest,” Eisenstein said. “But when we saw people that were interested, then we were confident this could be used and maintained in good condition.”

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