Saracen Lake playground nearing completion

The new playground by the splash park at Saracen Lake should be finished and ready for children by spring. The projected cost to build the playground is $300,000, according to Joy Blankenship, executive director of Pine Bluff Downtown Development said. The money is coming from a $150,000 grant from the Arkansas Blue and You Foundation, a $25,000 grant from the Simmons First Foundation, and a $150,000 grant that then-director of the Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation Department April Layher secured from the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department.