Punta Gorda playground torn down due to budget cuts

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.- A playground in Punta Gorda was torn down Tuesday.

Charlotte County officials say after budget cuts in 2009 they couldn’t afford to maintain the jungle gym. Now deemed unsafe, the county bulldozed the playground.

Families living nearby weren’t happy to see it go.

“I’m pretty upset that my kids don’t have anything to do and I mean it was a little park and they didn’t really keep it up but it was something for them to do cause there’s really nothing else,” said Sierra Dubois.

Dubois brings her sons to the playground almost every day, but today when they walked up, they found a big surprise.

“It’s gone.. it’s like all gone. The apartment complex right there, there’s a lot of kids that come here daily you know so they’re going to be pretty upset. I know nobody knew it was happening,” said Dubois.

WINK News talked to other neighbors in the South Punta Gorda Heights area; some say the playground was an eyesore and needed to come down. Others say the children and families enjoyed it.

The county says after budget cuts they couldn’t afford to keep up the maintenance and because of that they say the playground was unsafe. Back in 2009 another another Charlotte County playground in the Bay Heights Park area was torn down. The county says there aren’t any other plans to demolish anymore playgrounds.