Play area at the Port Charlotte Town Center is filthy, parents say

Parents say a playground at the Port Charlotte Town Center is dangerous due to dirty, worn-out equipment. One person says there is dried human waste on the floor.

It is a problem because with Florida summers, you never know what mother nature will bring on any given day. The unpredictability makes it difficult to entertain the little ones.

Some parents, keeping cool at the Port Charlotte Town Center, are keeping their child occupied in the play area.

“It’s a place to be when the weather is not nice outside,” said Tim Rawlings, who lives in Harbor Heights.

Reaching out to WINK News, several parents are expressing concern with aging fixtures and cleanliness of the play zone within the indoor mall.

“It looked initially appealing,” said Nathan McCarty, who resides in Port Charlotte. “But as you get up closer, you can definitely see that there are some sanitation issues.”

One parent sent a direct message with photos showing torn carpet, overhead lights off and what she believes is dry vomit on the rug.

The mall would not let us on the property but said the Town Center manages the play area. In a statement, it informed us of plans for future upgrades:

We are focused on providing a positive guest experience and have since begun discussions as it relates to upgrading our kids play area.

Parents said seeing the area upgraded and clean would make a big difference in knowing their children are safe.

“That would go a long way in making me feel more comfortable in taking my kids there,” Rawlings said.