Snaking air to ground from a giant tree-house-like tower, the red slide caught Tyana Keleagetse's eye.

The 10-year-old St. Patrick Catholic School student took her time Tuesday, weighing the pros and cons of each two-dimensional playground in front of her.

A sticky, shiny star clung to her finger as she stared at the jumbo-sized drawings.

Then, in a swift deliberate motion, Tyana cast her vote via sticker. That slide, she said, was just too cool to pass up.

"I like that it's big," she said with a shy smile.

There's a good chance Tyana's slide will eventually be a York City reality. The design was a popular choice among St. Patrick students, who told adults what they'd like in a playground near the school and then voted on professional drawings. Students at McKinley Elementary School also submitted ideas and will vote soon.

More than likely, the winning designs will be constructed, said Tom Landis, director of recreation for the city.

"You can't make a wrong decision," Landis told kids Tuesday. "No matter which play structure you pick, you will have a lot of fun."

For Sharun Pillai, 7, the decision was an easy one.

"OK, now that's the one I'm voting for," he said, his eyes finding the same gigantic slide and two-story tower that won over Tyana.

Biggest project yet: Landis is working with Bring On Play, a group of community activists turned playground artists who have made it their mission to renovate one city park every year.

They are finalizing plans for their biggest project yet -- a complete makeover of 10-acre Penn Park in the heart of York City.

Bring On Play aims to build two playgrounds at Penn Park -- one for 2- to 5-year-olds, designed to encourage creativity and imaginative play, and another for older kids who prefer physical challenges.

The designs are all a bit different, though each features traditional playground apparatus such as slides, monkey bars and climbing walls in an irresistible obstacle-course layout. A bonus is the inclusion of a water element that could take the form of a splash pad or mist garden.

Penn Park suffers from a bad reputation forged decades ago, Landis said, adding he's not sure why folks seem to think the area is unsafe.

"We're trying to change the opinion and people's impression of what the park is," he said. "It's just not being utilized by the community the way that it should be."

War camps: Penn Park actually has a rich history. Originally designated a park by William Penn, the site hosted Revolutionary War camps and a Civil War hospital, and was a drop-off point for freed slaves after the war.

Elements of the park's history will be incorporated in the design, such as through the use of patriotic colors, said Cori Strathmeyer, wellness director at the YMCA.

There's also the story of an alligator that apparently lived in a Penn Park water fountain decades ago.

"Those are like the little historical stories that keep cropping up that we want to include," Strathmeyer said.

Grants: Most of the money for the $600,000 project has been raised through grants and private donations, but fundraising continues, she said.

Volunteers are being asked to participate in a community build planned for mid-September.

Construction might be completed later this year, or it could proceed in two phases, Strathmeyer said.

Existing playground equipment will remain in the park until the project is 100 percent complete, she said.

-- Reach Erin James at 505-5439 or ejames@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter @ydcity.