CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Just blocks from the forthcoming Cedar Rapids casino, a playground at Time Check Park has been removed, with more to come.
Removal of the playground equipment earlier this month was related to the flood protection system on the city’s west side, according to Chad Peterson, Parks Superintendent for the City of Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department.
A smaller set of playground equipment remains in Time Check Park, at J Avenue and Sixth Street NW, but a swingset still standing as of mid-November 2025 is on its way out, Peterson said in an email.
The park, in an area of Cedar Rapids ravaged by the record 2008 flood and Iowa’s 2020 hurricane-strength derecho, is within sight of the construction of Cedar Crossing Casino, scheduled to open Dec. 31, 2026.
See photos of the casino’s groundbreaking
A swingset remaining in Time Check Park as of mid-November will be removed. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Peterson did not cite the casino as a factor in the removal of the playground equipment, but the neighborhood has already lost affordable housing, trees that survived the derecho and even through-streets to the casino, being built along Fourth Street NW between F and G avenues.
That site is in the 100-year floodplain, which was decimated during the 2008 flood.
Although the remaining playground equipment is just yards from the removed equipment and closer to the Cedar River, Peterson said both the playground that was removed and the swing set are within the area identified for future flood protection improvements.
For now, that area will become “green space.”
Cedar Crossing Casino is seen under construction in August 2025 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The playground equipment removed at Time Check Park was installed in 1997 and had reached the end of its useful life, Peterson said, noting the average lifespan of playground equipment is about 20 years.
“In addition to its age, the structure had sustained damage earlier this summer that created safety concerns,” he wrote. “Those issues were addressed immediately; however, the condition of the equipment made full removal the best long-term solution for safety.”
Trees that survived Iowa’s 2020 derecho, including this one removed in May 2025, were taken down to make way for the casino. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The structure included a small play unit with slides and climbing features. Peterson said similar playground options are available in nearby parks, “so removing this equipment does not leave the neighborhood without access to play areas.”
Asked if neighbors were notified before the playground was removed, Peterson said the Greenway Parks Plan was “developed through a multi-year public process with numerous opportunities for residents to learn about the project and share feedback through public meetings, surveys, and online engagement.”
The plan and supporting materials—including concepts and presentations—are available at CityOfCR.com/GreenwayPlan.
A smaller playground set remains in Time Check Park in northwest Cedar Rapids in November 2025. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
A splash pad in the park will also remain. The smaller playground, installed in 2009–2010, will stay in place as that equipment is outside the immediate footprint of the future flood protection work, according to the Parks Department.
Timing for the flood protection work has not yet been determined.
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