St. Cloud Could Approve $600K Playground Equipment Purchase Ahead of Tariffs

(KNSI) – St. Cloud is set to approve purchasing playground equipment before new tariffs take effect.

The city is looking to approve around $600,000 for playground equipment and supplies for a pickleball complex. The funds would come from the local open sales tax for regional parks and trails.

According to the city council agenda, St. Cloud will see significant savings by ordering the equipment early because the items are produced and manufactured with foreign steel. The city is anticipating tariffs on non-American steel will drive the cost.

The equipment is part of a $5.6 million proposed facelift to Whitney Park. The planned improvements include renovating or building new parking lots, athletic fields, trails, handicap accessibility, lighting, stormwater upgrades, eight new pickleball courts, a playground, landscaping, fencing, and turning the old airport runway into green space. The city will go out for formal bids on the entire project on March 27th.

The bids are listed in the city council’s consent agenda, which means they are bundled in with a lot of what is considered routine items and approved in one motion unless council members pull them for discussion and an individual vote. The meeting takes place on Monday at 6:00 p.m. inside city hall.

The project is part of the city’s park and recreation master plan approved in 2017.

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