By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UNION SQUARE — Parents were anxious for the east section of Union Square playground to reopen as crews worked Monday to build a shaded roof over a steel climbing dome that got so hot Friday it had to be roped off.
The Parks Department had reopened the $3.8-million, 15,000-square-foot playground this weekend following Friday's partial closure, but the dome, a slide and a spinning saucer were still off limits.
“Parks will install a permanent shade structure to prevent the domes from getting too hot on even the sunniest summer days of the year," said Parks Department Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “The dome is an extremely popular piece of playground equipment, manufactured by a reputable play equipment company. Most of the year its material is not an issue.
“We're always innovating and testing the very best new designs in active and fun playground activities, and we make adjustments as needed along the way.”
Pamela Gold, founder of West Village Parents, was glad to see safety precautions were being taken when she came to the playground Monday with her two children.
“The fact that it’s closed is good. The last time I was here on a sunny day, just brushing up against it you definitely could get burned,” Gold said.
Kipling Korba, 4, who came in to play from Brooklyn with his mom, tried to run past the caution tape to play on the dome.
“I like climbing on the big ball and trying to stand on it,” he said.
His mom, Katherine, said she was worried about the heat but hoped the cover would solve the problem.
Olivia Douglas, of Battery Park, took her 7-year-old son to play in the park Monday.
“It’s a fun, novel playground. I don’t know about what the dome was like in the heat or not," Douglas said. "I just think you need to watch your kids — on the swings, the dome or anywhere else.”
Despite watching the dome shut down on Friday, Flatiron District father of two Chris Bierlein said he was happy to bring his kids back to play on Monday.
"The dome is my kids’ favorite features," he said. “I'm not worried about the heat at all. I just hope they reopen that part of the park soon."
