By Taylor J. Hale 

Staff Writer

STEVENS POINT – Pfiffner Pioneer Park now has a new accessible playground open to the public. City crew members officially opened the play area after laying wood fibers on Sept. 18.

The new playspace is in the same location as Pfiffner’s former playground, behind the bandshell.

Mayor Mike Wiza noted the previous equipment was showing signs of age, and that many replacement parts were discontinued. Wiza sees the reimagined play area as another asset in the downtown landscape.

“We did have a playground there before,” Wiza said. “But this just adds another thing for people to do, and they can stop at Emy J’s or get ice cream downtown after.”

The city is involved in the 10-Minute Walk Initiative — a program focused on providing equitable and easy park or greenspace access. Wiza said that roughly 87 percent of the city is within a 10-minute walk from a park. The new playground was budgeted into last year’s capital plan, costing around $75,000.

Pfiffner Pioneer Park is located at 1100 Crosby Ave., Stevens Point. To learn more about the 10-Minute Walk Initiative, visit: https://10minutewalk.org.