‘Heart and soul of our community’: Ground broken on new $2.4M playground in Lahaina

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – The County of Maui’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) broke ground on the Lahaina Recreation Center Playground Thursday.

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The new $2.4 million project, located on Shaw Street, was shaped by community input, with features such as age-specific play areas, an adaptive swing set, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible pathways.

The county said the playground will also have the largest shaded area of any county park on the island, but the meaning behind the project is bigger.

“It’s not just the largest shade cover in the County of Maui, it’s play equipment for different age groups, seating for the parents, grandparents, guardians,” said West Maui council member Tamara Paltin. “It’s the heart and soul of our community.”

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“There are few things that bring us more joy than the laughter of children. And I think we all think about when we were kids, think of our own childhood. And so to be able to have that sound return to Lahaina is not something to do lightly but something to look forward to,” said Maui Mayor Richard Bissen.

The playground is expected to be ready for families in the fall of next year.

Three new, planned playgrounds will also be built in Upcountry (Eddie Tam Memorial Center), Central Maui (Kahului Park) and Kihei (Hale Piilani Park).

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