Mayor seeks free easements for Chugach to bury power lines in Pop Carr Park

The Anchorage Assembly will decide Nov. 4 whether to hire HPM Inc. for about $587,000 to rebuild the paths and upgrade the playground at Creekside Park in Northeast Anchorage.

The new playground, a design called "Adventure Creek," was chosen from four options using an online survey and input from students at nearby elementary schools, according to the parks department's project page.

The 8-acre park sits at East 6th Avenue and Oklahoma Street, next to Creekside Elementary School. Crews would tear out crumbling pavement and the bad ground beneath it, regrade and resurface the paths. The project also covers the Safe Route to School path along Patterson Street between 6th and 10th avenues, and new playground equipment and surfacing to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

HPM's bid was the lowest of six, though about $33,000 above the engineer's estimate, according to the parks director's recommendation. The highest bid was about $937,000.

The project has $800,000: a $500,000 grant the Legislature approved in 2024 and $300,000 in city bond money. The department is also asking for authority to approve up to about $147,000 in contract changes.

Work is expected to start this year and finish in summer 2027.

The park was built in 1981 with a playground, baseball field, tennis courts and a parking lot. Because it was bought partly with federal Land and Water Conservation Fund money, it must stay open for public outdoor recreation in perpetuity.