Things will be different this spring at a local subsidized-housing complex that’s full of children. There will be more swings to go around, a smoother basketball court and, maybe, a tetherball pole.

The improvements at Pine Tree Townhouses are the work of 11-year-old resident Chloe Sheridan, who spent all summer selling lemonade to raise money for her “Playground Enhancement Fund.” On Friday, Chloe saw months of fund raising come to fruition when crews began installing the first new piece of playground equipment: a four-seat swing set.

“It makes me feel really proud,” said Chloe, a fifth-grader at Quail Run School.

The swing set was donated by Athco, a Lenexa-based company, but cost about $1,000 to install.

Overall, Chloe has raised about $2,300 so far, most of it coming from donations rather than lemonade sales. A number of local businesses — including Klinknett Roofing, Penny Construction Inc. and Chaney Inc. — donated services or equipment.

Work on the project will continue through the spring. In March or April, crews from LRM Industries will donate their services to fill in cracks in the basketball court. It will cost several hundred dollars to buy new sand for the seven playgrounds scattered through the complex.

Depending on how much money is left over, the plan is to buy a tetherball pole and more toddler swings for the outlying playgrounds.

Eight-year-old Bell Schwartz, a friend of Chloe’s who was one of about a dozen children playing near the swing set Friday, estimates there are 100 children living in the complex. She predicts the improvements will be a smash hit.

“There’s going to be lines out of Pine Tree,” she said.

More information about the playground fund is available by calling Pine Tree’s office at 842-2545.

Chloe Sheridan's hard work finally bore fruit Friday as construction crews installed the supports for a new swing set in a small park at Pine Tree Townhouses. Chloe, 11, raised more than ,000 last summer for the project near 19th Street and Haskell Avenue.

Billboard builds buzz for lemonade stand (8-15-03) 6News video: Chloe Sheridan has billboard to promote her cause (8-15-03) Playground fund up to nearly $1,400 (7-15-03) 5th-grader takes on project to refurbish playground (7-09-03) 6News video: Fifth-grader hard at work in hopes of refurbished playground