Sapulpa community devastated after Heritage Park closes permanently

SAPULPA, Okla. — The City of Sapulpa has officially closed Heritage Park permanently after inspectors discovered serious structural safety concerns, leaving many community members devastated.

Located in the heart of Sapulpa, the popular park has long been a gathering place for local families and children. The city says the decision to close the park came after an inspection of the wooden structure revealed extensive deterioration.

Susan Bencke, parks and recreation director for the City of Sapulpa, explained what inspectors found during the September 25 inspection.

“When they were doing their inspection, we found a wall up here on the tower that the wood the screws were attached to was so disintegrated that it wasn’t holding,” Bencke said. “Somebody older, like a teenager and definitely an adult, could easily shove up against it and they would have come down.”'

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The news has been difficult for many families in the community.

“My parents drop me off often, and I have two little brothers. They’re three and four, and they look at the park and always ask when they can play and when they can come back because they really love this park,” said community member Naveah. “So, it’s heartbreaking to hear that they’re not going to be able to anymore.”

Another resident, John, said he was frustrated to hear about the closure.

“Very annoyed, angry. I just did not really understand. I hate that it’s closing down,” John said.

The city says it previously applied for a grant to help fund repairs but was denied. According to the city, restoring the park would cost between $500,000 and $1 million.

Despite the setback, Bencke said the community response has been encouraging, with residents already discussing fundraising efforts and ideas for the future of the space.

When Naveah heard about the possibility of the community coming together to help rebuild the park, she said it gave her hope.

“I feel like a lot of the time people are so separated, and now they have a chance to come together and be together and fix something that’s really important,” Naveah said.

The city said leaders are now working through next steps, including possible fundraising efforts and gathering community input about what residents would like to see in the future.

Community members and visitors can share memories, what they liked about the park and any other thoughts to parkrec@sapulpaok.gov. The city says the responses will be taken into account while they discuss next steps.