Families celebrated the completion of the newly remodeled Capitol Park on Saturday afternoon with free cotton candy and hot dogs at a City and Borough of Juneau Parks and Recreation’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Mayor Beth Weldon, CBJ Parks and Recreation Director George Schaaf, and Juneau Park Foundation vice chair and Juneau Community Foundation board president John Pugh all gave speeches about what the park means for Juneau on what they called a lucky sunny day.
“This playground is not just a place for children to laugh and play,” Weldon said before cutting the ribbon. “It is an example of how we can make our community accessible and inclusive ensuring that every child regardless of their ability can enjoy the simple pleasure of playing outdoors, especially on a day like today.”
The ribbon-cutting event came shortly after the start of Parks and Recreation’s Month of Play. The Capitol Park ribbon-cutting ceremony was included in Month of Play and people could receive an entry ticket for a prize drawing on Aug. 30. The next Month of Play event will be the annual StoryPath on the Seawalk Aug. 6-12.
The Capitol Park Improvements project began in August 2021 and included public outreach.
Juneau families enjoy Capitol Park on Saturday afternoon. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The park has been open for public use for almost a year, but the lighting and staircase railings were recently completed, marking its official reopening.
Schaaf said the project took years to complete due to a high number of construction projects in Juneau that kept contractors busy. He said he’s excited for Capitol Park to be embraced by the neighborhood.
“It’s the best part of my job,” he said while watching his 18-month-old son explore the playground. “Parks and Recreation does a lot of different things. We do parking, we do maintenance of all the city’s facilities but opening up the playgrounds — it’s like the best thing we get to do.”
Schaaf said there are 17 playgrounds within the parks system. Savikko Park’s new playground is close to completion and there are five more playgrounds set to receive upgrades within the next year.
If there are vandalism or safety issues at a park, Schaaf said the public can report it to (907) 586-5226 or the Parks and Recreation website.
“We’ve got a really good partnership with JPD and they help us out quite a bit,” he said. “And we also have some park rangers who work in the parks. The best thing we can do is have folks let us know if they see something that doesn’t look right.”
Pugh said the park is for the community of Juneau, legislators and cruise ship visitors. He said the Gold Creek Child Development Center requested a separate area for babies and toddlers to ensure their safety from the older children playing.
Jennifer Parkin and Rose McLean play with their babies in an area reserved for young children at Capitol Park on Saturday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
“We’re most proud of this,” Pugh said, looking at the artificial turf field which allows the park to be used even in the rain. It was funded by JCF at a cost of about $500,000.
The Capitol Park improvements project was a little over $2 million. The park was funded through a bond voters approved in 2020 and through JCF’s Juneau Capital Fund which raises money through grants and community donations. Schaff said there was also a temporary 1% sales tax that the voters approved a couple of years ago and general maintenance money for parks that helped.
Pugh said he and his family have enjoyed Capitol Park for 46 years. They came to the park when his two children attended Capital School across the street. The building is now known as the Terry Miller Legislative Office Building.
“I’m just looking forward to my great-grandchildren using this park, how beautiful it is and what it will be for everybody in the future,” Pugh said.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.
The historic former Terry Miller Legislative Office Building. Capitol Park is located across the street. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
