Soon, the slide and the other structures at Wildwood Park on 4th Street—a swing set, climbing structure and smaller slide—will be removed from the park to make way for new equipment.

Fans and friends of the slide will get to bid adieu at a farewell party on Feb. 28.

According to Gregory Gates, chair of the Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission, the decision to revamp Wildwood was made after a mandated audit revealed the equipment was out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Two other city parks, El Quito and Brookglen, will also be remodeled to make them accessible to visitors with disabilities.

Gates said that, though he was not involved with the planning of the upcoming Saturday morning celebration, members of the commission's celebration task force originally wanted to hold such an event.

"The slide has always been a centerpiece of the Wildwood Park," he said. "We had always talked about how great it would be to give community members a chance to say good-bye."

While no one could determine the age of the slide for certain, several city officials said they believe it is approximately 9 or 10 years old. Cary Bloomquist, liaison to the parks and recreation commission, said there has been a mixed reaction to news of the slide's impending removal.

"In part, many people were sad to see it go," Bloomquist said. "So we tried as hard as we could to keep it in there. Other people were kind of glad to see it go."

Once it was explained that the slide is potentially unsafe, however, he said people understood the need to remodel.

Gates said the commission initially looked into building a ramp and making the current slide more accessible, but a $50,000 estimate quickly put that idea to rest. Even if that figure is a bit inflated, he said making the slide compliant would no doubt cost more than the $8,000 to $10,000 that will be spent on entirely new equipment.

Bloomquist said some of the new structures will basically be ADA-compliant versions of the current ones.

"The main elements are going to be preserved," he said. "We're going to have a slide, but it's going to be a different type of slide. We're going to have swings, but they're going to be a different type."

According to Bloomquist, demolition of the park is tentatively scheduled for the beginning of March. If everything goes smoothly and if weather allows, he said he expects the installation of the new structures to begin a month later, with completion and a ribbon-cutting ceremony sometime this summer.

The farewell party will be held Feb 28. at 10 a.m. Wildwood Park is located at 20764 4th St.