Peter Becker, coordinator of the Friends of Salter Grove (FoSG), smiled when asked how long the park’s brand-new playground was a project in the making – undoubtedly re-experiencing moments that led up to the upcoming celebratory grand opening, which will occur on Saturday from 2-4 p.m.

The truth was, it had been a project on the minds of people who lived around the neighborhood for many years. It’s hard to not want more out of a state park that only had one sad, little, dilapidated play structure that seemed more fitting for a scene from a spooky movie than a fun spot for kids to play.

The concerted efforts to revamp the park’s playground, however, began in February of 2016, when the FoSG formed and began loudly advocating for the advancement and improvement of the park. It has been an eventful three and a half years since then.

The park – nestled off to the side of Narragansett Parkway – has since seen visits from all array of government officials, from city councilmen and state representatives to Governor Gina Raimondo. The FoSG, along with legislative help from Rep. Joseph McNamara, secured sizable state grant funding to completely reconstruct the causeway that leads to the breakwater in the bay – a popular spot for fishing and bird watching – which has since been completed to impressive results.

The playground is finishing touch on a park facelift that Salter Grove advocates hope will bring continued interest and enjoyment from people all around the city – and even beyond – to visit the park and enjoy its natural charms.

Becker said on Wednesday morning, as DPW crews finished installation of artisanal benches that surround the new play structure, that he has already noticed a spike in visitors excited about the playground.

The playground is the result of a collaborative partnership between citizen advocacy group Friends of Salter Grove, the donation of materials from private contractors, $25,000-worth of in-kind work from the city’s Department of Public Works and is fueled by a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Management.

Don Nguyen, owner of Providence Machine & Tool Works (located at 126 Bellows Street in Warwick), constructed five of the aforementioned benches, four of which are circled around the new playground. A fabrication of welded, laser-cut sheet steel and black locust lumber sourced from a Coventry sawmill, the benches should easily last 25 years, Nguyen said on Wednesday morning while on site.

Matt Dickinson, a landscape designer and FoSG member, helped select and plant a series of flowers and shrubs to accent the new space, and the list is extensive – from junipers and winterberry to beach rose and sweetspire. The project also had some soil donated from Pawtuxet Memorial Park to create a safety berm, and Becker is hopeful that a guardrail could be installed in the near future.

The celebration on Saturday will feature hot dogs, apple cider, donuts and hot chocolate. The local band Salter’s Groove – which derived its name from the park – will also be performing a live set to further liven the mood.

In the event of rain, the event will be moved one week forward to November 2 at the same time.