The new playground at the northwest corner of Daffin Park, Savannah's largest park, is built. Behind the construction fencing are climbing units, slides, a splashpad and a restroom, and the City of Savannah calls it the first signature playground it has built. It still isn't open. In its October 14 update, the city said the delay comes from the ground the equipment stands on. After construction, the drainage didn't work as it should and water started pooling on the site.
The opening now depends on getting that site to drain. The city has listed the remaining steps in order, and a family watching from Victory Drive can follow along.
How the expected opening has moved since 2025
Work on the Daffin Park Signature Playground started in fall 2025. The timeline has been reported four times since then. The first three updates came before the city reported the drainage problem.
| When it was reported | Who reported it | What was expected |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3, 2025 | WSAV | Construction starting Sept. 22 and lasting about four months |
| Oct. 1, 2025 | City of Savannah | Completion in early spring |
| June 4, 2026 | WTOC | Opening in August |
| Oct. 14, 2026 | City of Savannah | Opening date to be announced in November |
The October update is different from the earlier ones. Instead of a target month, it names a specific cause and lists the corrective steps in sequence. WJCL and the Savannah Morning News both reported the delay in mid-October, and neither had a firm opening date.
Why pooling water held up a finished playground
According to the city, the site began ponding once construction wrapped up. Because of that, the city decided to keep the playground closed until repairs were done, citing the safety of the families and visitors who will use it.
Repairs started on Oct. 6. The city's Capital Projects team, led by project manager Ashley Sullivan, began laying drainage pipe and regrading the site to the correct slope. Recreation & Leisure Services, under interim director Ricky Allison, is overseeing the work and confirming the park is fully operational before it opens.
Community Services chief Ashley Reynolds Marshall explained the timing in the city's release:
"The city is excited to open its first signature playground at Daffin Park, a space designed for all abilities so every Savannah family may play together for years to come. We will announce an opening date in November, once the site has passed its final inspection and is ready for fun and laughter!"
Marshall's promise is about the announcement, so November is when the city plans to name a date. The opening itself could come later.
The five steps between the drainage repair and an open gate
The city's October 14 update lists the remaining work in this order:
- Drainage improvements and site restoration, expected by Oct. 19, weather and proper drainage permitting
- Termite treatment, expected by Oct. 21, after the site work is finished
- Final field inspection, expected by Oct. 22, once drainage and restoration are complete
- Fresh mulch and fence completion by Recreation & Leisure, with Facilities cleaning and stocking the on-site restrooms
- Operational readiness, declared once staffing, maintenance and signage are in place and the site is cleared and confirmed safe for the public
The city described the first three dates as expectations. On Oct. 20, WTOC posted a video update headlined "Daffin Park playground repairs near completion." The city said its next update would come after the Oct. 22 inspection and that a ribbon-cutting or grand opening event will follow once the opening date is set. The city's Daffin Park Signature Playground page is where those milestones will be posted.
Steps four and five also explain why passing inspection won't open the gate the same day. After the inspection, crews still have to put down mulch, finish the fence, stock the restrooms, and get staff and signage in place.
What's behind the fence
Once the gate opens, families will find the largest playground in Chatham County. WTOC reported it at 25,000 square feet. It is fully ADA-compliant, designed for children ages 2 to 12, and built next to the play structure Daffin received the year before construction began.
The city's project announcement describes seven zones and gives names for six of them:
- Splish-n-Splash
- Twist-n-Turn
- Bump-n-Jump
- Story Time
- Swing-n-Things
- Mega Zone, with two large climbing units, multiple activity stations, slides, an in-ground whirl, a seesaw and shade cover
When construction started, Allison told WSAV that the zones include "swings, rock climbers, splash pads, zip lines, and everything in between," and added, "It's going to be hard to keep the adults off of this play equipment." He told the station that inclusion is what he's proudest of, with children of all abilities playing side by side and a design that covers emotional, mental and social needs along with physical ones.
Allison also described the practical setup to WSAV. The playground is fenced and lit. Its public restroom locks automatically overnight, and a nighttime patrol checks that the facilities are clean and empty. Parking along Warren Drive is being expanded for the extra visitors. Those amenities need more than a typical playground does, and much of the work happens underground, from restroom plumbing to a splashpad that has to drain.
A name saved for the ribbon cutting
The playground doesn't have a public name yet. Through the city's "Let's Play, Savannah!" campaign, Savannah-area students and families sent in suggestions, and the city chose three finalists for a public vote that closed June 19, 2026:
- Kidz Corner
- Playlandia
- Funly Park
In its June announcement, the city said the winning name and the contest winner would be revealed at the ribbon cutting. According to the October update, that ceremony comes after the city announces the opening date, which it plans to do in November. Until then, the name is on hold along with the opening.
Forsyth Park's playground needed surface work too
The Daffin playground is the capstone project of Recreation Re-imagined, a program Savannah City Council approved in 2021. The city says it has invested more than $4 million in recreation upgrades across Savannah since then.
The other playground project that started in fall 2025 was also mostly about what sits underneath the equipment. At Forsyth Park, the city found that the poured-in-place rubber and engineered wood fiber had worn down and no longer met safety standards. Crews replaced and expanded the rubber surface and swapped the wood fiber for longer-lasting rubber mulch. The city expected that job to take two weeks, and the Forsyth playground reopened on Sept. 30, 2025.
There's newer work at Forsyth as well. The city reported that the tennis court renovations were completed Sept. 25, 2026, and the courts are open from dawn to 9 p.m., with lights on from 6 to 9 p.m.
At Daffin, the equipment is in place. Opening day depends on the drainage repair, the final inspection and the mulch, fence, restroom and staffing work the city listed after it.
We'll be watching for the city's November announcement and the name reveal along with everyone else. If you'd like to know what's changing in the neighborhoods around Daffin Park, or anywhere else in Savannah, the Teresa Cowart Team is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
