SPOKANE, Wash. — The Childhood Express, the red wagon located in Riverfront Park, is set to receive a new coat of paint and minor metal repairs, according to a press release from the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation.
The renovations include stripping all paint and rust, making minor metal repairs and applying new primer and paint.
Work is set to begin on Tuesday and should last for approximately three weeks. The red wagon will remain closed while renovations are being done and the perimeter around the wagon will be fenced off and tented during repainting work.
Paved pathways near the wagon will primarily remain open during renovations.
The Childhood Express was created by artist Ken Spiering for the Centennial Celebration of Children in 1989. It is 12 feet high, 12 feet wide, 27 feet long and weighs approximately 26 tons.
Because the wagon is made of steel and metal, it can hold as many as 300 people.
The interactive sculpture also doubles as a slide, which is located on the handle of the wagon.
The Junior League of Spokane plaque from Aug. 18, 1990, reads: "This sculpture is dedicated to Spokane's children, as a reflection of the past, created in the present, to last into the future."
The Childhood Express has not received any significant repairs since it was built 33 years ago, according to Parks and Recreation. Modern Construction and Consulting Services, LLC was awarded the contract as the lowest bidder, and the project is slated to cost $73,000. Sherwin Williams donated the paint for the project.
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