New playground coming to Loring Greenway this fall

What happened: Council Member Katie Cashman said her staff and the city dug into alternatives at the request of constituents and discovered that Austin had an unused Kompan-brand playset that was half the price of the original design and ready to be shipped.

• The city has applied for a Hennepin County grant to help cover the $173,500 cost.

What they're saying: Cashman said in a statement that while the new design "may not be as advanced or detailed as previous renderings ... [it] is still a quality play place that could be installed almost immediately."

Fun fact: The play area, located on a City of Minneapolis right of way, not park board land, is the only playground in the city that's managed by the Public Works department.

What's next: The new playground is expected to open sometime next month.

🛝 Go deeper: The best Twin Cities playgrounds

Editor's note: This story has been updated with corrected information from Hennepin County to say the city's grant application is still under review (not already approved)