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Laughter and squealing are sounds that parents in Battery Park City say they cherish.

"My 16-year-old daughter grew up playing in this park and it's a testament to how wonderful and useful it is that she still plays here," said Matthew Fenton, a member of the Coalition to Save Tire Swing Park.

The beloved Tire Swing Park is set to be demolished.

Nicknamed for its popular tire swing, parents say the playground, located near West Thames Street across from The World Trade Center site, is an essential part of their neighborhood.

"This is the primary meeting place that is shaded, that is useful to the children," said parent Sarah Cassell.

"This is unfortunately the only active recreation space within about a mile of here," Fenton said. "So this is not a park we can afford to lose, even for a day."

But they will lose it for several months, according the State Department of Transportation, which plans to tear down and rebuild the playground as part of the larger, $9 million Route 9A Project, which centers on the creation of a new pedestrian promenade.

"It's going to allow people who are going to visit the Memorial to go down to Battery Park," explained New York State DOT Public Affairs Director Adam Levine.

A waste, according to opponents of the plan, who say DOT should simply use the existing walkway. The agency argues the new promenade is needed to handle increased tourist traffic and provide a direct connection to the World Trade Center site.

The DOT hopes the existing walkway will serve residents.

"If the park is intended for the community, for the residents, then do they want to have the tourists walking alongside the entrance to the park, or would they rather keep the tourists outside the park so the park is predominantly for the use of the residents?" asked Levine.

Another concern, say residents, is the safety of a gas pipeline, which will run under the promenade.

"Gas lines have been around for over a hundred years, they're connected to every building," he said. "There should be no concern about the safety of the gas line."

Under the new plan, DOT says the park will gain a water play area; two new basketball courts; new community gardens; and an improved dog run. All of these are welcomed additions, with the exception of the playground.

"Current code calls for new playgrounds to be made of metal and plastic, not the beautiful, rustic wood playground that we have right now," said Fenton.

The Coalition to Save Tire Swing Park has gathered some 500 signatures protesting the destruction of the playground.

In the meantime, DOT, which has been working with residents to address their concerns, says construction is scheduled to start next month.