Shawnee Parks & Recreation is in a constant state of growth. From routine maintenance to new facilities, programs and events. Due to current supply chain issues, many projects are taking longer than usual. We will provide updates on projects and facility closures here and on our social media channels. 

Gum Springs Park Renovations
Scheduled for June 2023 - End of 2023

Gum Springs Park will be closed beginning June 12, 2023. The park renovations will include a new playground, replacement of the backstops and fencing on all four baseball fields, and replacement of the asphalt trail with an eight foot wide concrete trail. The new playground will feature the first of its kind in North America from Berliner Play Equipment. The highlight will be the Lunia, a hot air balloon that will stand over 30 feet tall.  The safety surfacing will be a bonded rubber. All renovations are estimated to be complete by the end of the year. The entire park including the parking lot and restrooms will remain closed during renovations.

June 30, 2023 Update: Demolition is well under way! Crews have removed the playground, fencing, and backstops. Crews have started removing the asphalt trail. 

For more information on the project, please visit the construction project website.

  Funding from the Parks & Pipes sales tax made this project possible. 

Park Maintenance Facility
Scheduled for February 2023 - Fall 2023

The Parks and Recreation Maintenance Facility, located next to the Public Works Service Center on Johnson Drive, is scheduled to be completed this fall. The building will feature 5,000 square feet of finished office space with break area and two conference rooms. The remaining 25,000 square feet of warehouse/shop space will consolidate park maintenance operations from four locations to one.

Swarner Park Playground Surfacing Replacement
Completed in September 2022

The wood mulch safety surfacing below the swings and small climbing structure was replaced with bonded rubber safety surfacing.

Gum Springs & Swarner Park Restroom Replacement
Gum Springs completed September 2022
Swarner Park completed October 2022 

City Council approved the contact with Centric for restroom replacements at both Gum Springs and Swarner Parks. This project kicked off during the summer of 2022. Each project is took approximately 90-120 days.

Quivira Glenn Restroom Repair
Completed May 2022

On Monday, May 9th, parks staff discovered vandalism had occurred overnight in both the Men's and Women's restrooms at Quivira Glenn Park. The restrooms are currently closed. Repairs are scheduled to begin May 18th. These repairs will take approximately one week. The mirrors are back ordered and will take a couple more weeks to arrive. Once the new fixtures are in place, we will open the restrooms and install the mirrors once they arrive. A portable restroom is in place now and will remain through the completion of the project.

If you have any information on the vandalism that occurred please contact the Shawnee Police Department at (913) 631-2155 and reference case number 2202215.

West Flanders Playground Repairs
Completed May 2022

Two small sides at West Flanders Park were replaced in May 2022 due to damage caused by normal wear and tear. Once the slides were replaced, the surfacing beneath the slides was repaired along with additional damaged surfacing on the playground. The playground will be open and ready for use beginning on Friday, May 13th.

Erfurt Park Playground Repairs
Completed in January 2022

In August 2021, the north post of the climbing structure broke at the footing. The playground was immediately closed upon inspection. Due to production and shipping delays, the replacement post arrived in January 2022. The post and footing were replaced and new mulch was placed. The playground is back open and ready for use!

Herman Laird and Listowel Park Tennis Courts
Completed August 2021

Both the Herman Laird and Listowel Park Tennis Courts are receiving a complete renovation in the Spring of 2021. Contractors will remove and replace the current surfacing, fencing, nets and lighting. The new nets and lines will be multi-use allowing each court to be used for both pickleball and tennis. The new Musco LED lighting will increase energy efficiency and control spill light and glare. The tennis courts at both locations are currently closed. The courts will re-open this summer. 

Listowel Park is completed and open for daytime play. We are currently waiting for the final electrical hookup for the new lighting to allow nighttime play. Herman Laird is nearly complete, but needs some fencing work to protect the new surfacing prior to unlocking the gates. We do not have a final timeline, but we we are working closely with the contractor and hope to have it open for daytime play ASAP!

Erfurt Park Water Feature
Completed June 2021

The water feature at Erfurt Park is underwent renovations for the 2021 summer season. The renovated feature will have a larger concrete pad and additional spray nozzles. The feature will be controlled via a touch-point sensor. The renovated splash pad opened on June 23, 2021. In the process of completing this project, the sand play area of Erfurt was relocated to the Northwest corner of the nature play area. The space was expanded and new sand was added. 

Shawnee Mission Parkway Median Landscaping
Completed May 2021

Contractors updated the median landscaping on Shawnee Mission Parkway from Pflumm to Mastin. The new landscaping provides a welcoming entrance to Shawnee along a widely traveled corridor.

Gamblin Park
Completed April 2021!

Prior to this project, Gamblin Park had pour-and-place safety surfacing under the playground. This surfacing was deteriorating and in need of replacement. The swing set still had loose, wood mulch as a safety surface. Following the completion of the re-surfacing, both play features will have updated pour-and-place rubber surfacing. This project is scheduled to be completed in early April. The playground will remain closed until completion.