April, 2017:
I've been back to this park a few times since 2006, but probably not since 2012. In 2016, arsonists set fire to the structure. Articles at the time indicated that the play structure had been "destroyed." While fiery photographs of the structure are creepy and awful, I guess I understood from those articles that the entire thing had been reduced to a burnt husk. This is not the case.
What was destroyed was about 1/4 to 1/5 of the structure, namely what you see here in this shot:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
The wobbly stairs, the double monkey bars, the dead end, the "volcano", the tower that launched the brown curly slide -- are all gone.
RIP airplane thing....
I'll miss you, tire volcano....
You gave me shocks, but I still loved you, curly slide....
Evidence of the fire remains:
And other parts of the structure could use some TLC...
I don't think that art was original.
However, improvements to the Imagination Station have been made, especially in the way of paint. Yay for color!
Here and there, wood has been replaced -- especially along the walkways.
And though it's been through a lot, and has lost some key components, the Imagination Station still stands tall.
How much more time it has, it's hard to say. Oregon weather isn't kind to wooden structures. The Imagination Station turns 25 this year. Another wooden structure, in Portland's Couch Park, was demolished in 2014 after a 35+-year lifespan.
So maybe, if the local hooligans can keep their kerosene and matches away from it, the Imagination Station might just be able to hang on for another decade.
We can hope!
To find out what the Imagination Station looked like -- refurbished -- 2 years later, click here!
