NORTH BEND — On Monday afternoon, it didn’t look much like a place for children to play. But the center of College Park, currently a scene of orange cones and danger tape, soon will be transformed.

The park is nearing the final steps of a nearly year-long project to update the recreational area, including playground equipment, picnic tables, barbecues and a covered structure for parties.

The result of a partnership between the city and a local group backed by the Ford Family Foundation, the project is expected to be completed by next month. Yet with only a few more weeks of work ahead of them, planners may fight weather in the final push to turn College Park, also known as Oak Street Park, into a top-notch recreation facility.

At this point, a variety of volunteers have agreed to put the final pieces together. Among them are the North Bend Fire Department, a local Boy Scouts of America troop and the Kiwanis Club of North Bend.

“You can definitely tell there is some forward progression,” said Barbara Bauder, a member of the foundation-sponsored leadership group, who serves as the liaison with the city of North Bend and other partners.

“We also see that we’re getting to the end of the nice weather.

“I think we’re going to make it. I am very optimistic.”

Bauder said the Rural Development Initiative project was identified by her leadership class in November 2007. Because of inclement weather and other factors, the project has gone more slowly than expected. During that down time, the group spent its days fundraising and planning.

With a $5,000 Ford Family grant, the group was able to raise about $10,000 to put in much of the equipment. The city of North Bend donated the play structure from the recently defunct Pacific Child Center. Bauder valued the structure at $18,000.

“The city of North Bend has just been an incredible partner for us,” she said. “Together it’s been one plus one equals three. We’re going to end up with a great outcome when we’re done.”

Bauder said the group had hoped to raise an extra couple of thousand dollars to put in more barbecue grills and a bike rack. With the funds the group does have, three barbecues will be installed, along with several picnic tables and signs that will complement the park’s ambiance.

“I think for our part of it we’re getting everything done that we wanted to do,” Bauder said. 

Katie Daniels, a 29-year-old mother who lives about a block from the park, said she’s looking forward to the change. She noted that the park hasn’t always looked its best.

“It was convenient but not very nice to use. All the toys were really old and run-down,” she said.

The worst was the merry-go-round, which Daniels made sure her daughter avoided.

“‘I was always afraid she was going to get slivers, so I didn’t let her play on it very much,”  she said.

Daniels’ family will be moving to another area of North Bend, but she said she would use the fixed-up park if she still lived nearby.

“I think with nicer equipment and better facilities, people will use it more, especially with the ball fields going across the road,” the North Bend resident said.

Bryan Owen, North Bend’s assistant parks superintendent, said he’s impressed by the effort of the leadership group and others in the community to restore the park.

“We worked together on the project and it makes them feel good to be involved and it makes us feel good that they really want to better their neighborhoods. So, hopefully it will keep going,” Owen said. “With volunteer groups it makes it a lot easier for us.”

He said he expects play equipment to be installed by city employees after Sept. 29. Added landscape work will be done after all the other elements come together.

“That should get us through with what little of the summer is left. If the rains hit real hard, it’s going to be difficult to do the landscaping we want to do,” Owen said.

Later this week, the staff and volunteers with the North Bend Fire Department will begin erecting the covered structure — made of wood, a concrete slab and possibly a metal roof. On Sept. 28, Boy Scouts and Kiwanis members will help take down old picnic tables and paint the seat of the new ones brown to match the tabletops.

“We’re just trying to have a natural feel of a park to keep with the trees and natural vegetation and things like that,” Bauder said.

With all the work left to be done, Bauder said she’s thankful for groups like the North Bend firefighters, many of whom have carpentry experience.

Fire Chief Scott Graham said he and his men are happy to support the Parks Department and other organizers.

“They needed some help and we said ‘Sure, we’ll help you guys out,’” Graham said. “Pretty much everybody’s background here one way or another is carpentry work. ... It’s just a part of the job.”

He expects to begin pouring concrete and installing posts for the 20- by-30-foot covered shelter Thursday.

“It’s been a team effort for all the departments here. It’s kind of a fun thing for us to do, it gets us out of the norm,” Graham said. “When they get that park finished it will be beautiful.”