Around 75 residents attended a recent community meeting on the Loring Greenway playground, which was removed due to safety concerns in November, without public notice or a replacement plan.

The crowd on Jan. 30 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis included several kids who frequently used the playground and miss having it in their backyard. There were also many frustrated caregivers in attendance.

One resident shared that her grandkids cried when they went outside to play on the playground and it was inexplicably gone.

Last fall, Minneapolis Public Works hired an inspector that identified potential head entrapments and structural issues, so the department decided the 22-year-old playground needed to be swiftly taken down, though no injuries were reported.

Immediately after its removal, Ward 7 Councilmember Katie Cashman received around 25 calls and emails from residents. She wasn’t previously made aware of Public Work’s decision.

During the meeting, David Bauer from Public Works said the department wants to be part of the solution and apologizes for the lack of communication. “Obviously, we’re going to get better at this moving forward,” he said.

A community work group will be formed to determine options for replacing the playground. The Loring Greenway Association, which hosted the meeting along with Cashman, will be involved in the group.

Temporary solutions, like a storage cabinet stocked with gear for outdoor play, could come this spring or summer ahead of a permanent playground replacement.

A new playground could cost $400,000. Cashman is working to identify grants and potential sponsorship partners to help pay for it.

The original playground was built about 20 years ago with $60,000 from the City's Neighborhood Revitalization Project fund.