PORT ANGELES – The city of Port Angeles may dip into lodging tax money to help for repairs on a couple of high-profile structures.

Tuesday night, the city council will take up a recommendation to use almost a million dollars of the money for repairs to the observation tower at City Pier and to help with the rebuilding of the Dream Playground.

$688-thousand dollars is requested for the tower repair. The city declared an emergency in November following findings from an engineering firm that structural failures that pose a safety risk. The city estimates the $688-thousand dollars will cover repairs needed to reopen the tower.

$250-thousand dollars is estimated to go to the rebuild of the Dream Playground at Erickson Playfield. The community-built playground was mostly destroyed by fire in December. The Dream Playground Foundation estimates the materials cost of rebuilding to be just over $530 thousand dollars and will use volunteers for labor in the rebuild. The foundation requested the lodging tax funding to help cover the final costs added to community fundraising. The City has submitted an insurance claim to help with the rebuild, but officials say due to timing of the reconstruction funds are needed as soon as possible.