- Newly renovated park, right next to highway 166.
- Two different grant agencies transforming this park will turn into a multimillion dollar project.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A project designed to serve the community by providing more activities for kids and people in a small town. This multi-million dollar upgrade will include a new recreational area, landscaping, play structures, and more.
“There are currently restrooms on site and those are gonna be renovated, yeah those are renovated, but it’s essentially gonna be a whole new park i don’t believe any of the old equipment will still be there it’s pretty worn out,” says Cory Morse, Mayor of Maricopa.
In 2019 the city of Maricopa put in a grant for a new park and was awarded a 1.9 million dollar grant through California Park and Recreation, right before the pandemic. This resulted in leaving construction work at a standstill. Following the pandemic, the city said the nearly two million bucks wouldn't be enough to cover the new cost. This led the council to apply for another grant through Clean California and got approved for another two million dollars.
“Essentially we’re getting the entire park back, and now it's ugh, about 4 million dollars for this park,” continues Morse.
The transformation will incorporate new shade structures, drinking fountains, a bus stop with an ADA-accessible shelter, recycling receptacles, an upgraded basketball court, as well as picnic and barbecue areas.
Morse says he's most excited about the walkway being built in, as the current property has no sidewalk or path. With the park being so close to the school, he says it can be dangerous, his biggest concern is the safety of Maricopa residents.
He says this project heavily involved the Maricopa Unified School District which is just a block away. Most meetings were held at the school, and the vision for this park was inspired by staff and students of the Maricopa Unified School District, as well as members of the city council.
“It was a labor of love by a lot of people, and they worked a lot of hours, to get it done and we appreciate them,” says Morse.
Officials say the project is scheduled to get underway this year and to be completed in early 2024, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
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