Portions of the playground at Bear Creek Park that burned in February will be rebuilt this summer.

Replacement of a portion of Bear Creek Park’s Olsrud Family Community Playground, which was torched earlier this year, will cost just over a half-million dollars.

Medford Parks and Recreation Director Rich Rosenthal said estimates had been gathered and insurance paperwork was being finalized for replacement this summer of a section of the playground destroyed by arson Feb. 9.

Passersby reported the fire around 1 a.m. after a portion of the playground along Siskiyou Boulevard was already fully engulfed. Fire crews were on scene within seven minutes, while Medford police officers scoured the park for possible suspects. Witnesses later reported seeing an individual using a butane torch at the play area, and the investigation continues, Rosenthal said Wednesday.

While most of the playground section was spared from the flames, a structure and play area designed for children ages 2-5 was a total loss, with additional damages to a surrounding fence and landscaping.

Rosenthal said cost estimates to replace the structure came in at “a whopping $516,000.” Offering a rough guess, Rosenthal said replacement would end up costing about 40% more than the original construction of the project in 2018.

Originally built in 1988, the playground — formerly known as “castle park” — was constructed through a special community design process with help from Florida-based Leathers playground architects. The company facilitates projects around the country in which community members help design and then donate labor to build play structures.

In 2018, Leathers aided the city of Medford in repeating the process — many of the adult volunteers had watched their parents build the original in 1988. The new playground at the end of 2018 was built with help from more than 1,000 volunteers who contributed 6,400 hours over an eight-day span.

Originally slated for a grand opening in early 2019, parks officials surprised community members by dedicating the playground just one week before Christmas 2018, naming it in honor of local philanthropists Sherm and Wanda Olsrud, whose family lived for decades across from the park and donated toward playground construction.

City officials said this week that the investigation into the cause of the blaze is ongoing. Rosenthal said the playground fire and replacement of the structure are among the most frequently raised topics for city parks staff.

“It’s one of the most asked questions, and for obvious reasons,” he noted.

Rosenthal said surveillance cameras are being incorporated into the replacement structure and surrounding area, along with improved lighting.

“It’s not part of the insurance claim, because it didn’t exist before, so that will be an enhancement. We’re also in discussions with potential donors for some improved features,” he added.

Rosenthal said work on the site should commence by early summer.

Some cost savings in the replacement process, he noted, were provided with volunteer labor and other services from community business partners. Western States Environmental helped with initial cleanup ($5,668), and Johnny Cat donated equipment, trucking services and concrete disposal ($12,584).

Given that the entire playground project, including the older and younger kids sections, cost around $950,000 “in 2017-2018 dollars,” Rosenthal said replacement costs came as a shock.

“We were shocked, but not surprised,” he said. “Is it possible to be shocked but not surprised?”

With the origins of both the 1980s play structure and the newest rendition having such strong ties to community volunteerism, Rosenthal said the city would facilitate some opportunities for community members to volunteer when the timing is right. Willing volunteers are asked to send an email to volunteer coordinator Tyson Thompson, at Tyson.thompson@cityofmedford.org.

“We really appreciate the outpouring of community support,” Rosenthal said.

“We know how important this project has been, and we’re eager to get it going. We expect the repair process to be this summer, possibly summer and into early fall. We want to get it done as fast as we possibly can.”