By Philip Haldiman

Independent Newsmedia

The city broke ground on the new Paloma Community Park at Lake Pleasant Parkway and Dixileta Drive, April 30.

Peoria and Maricopa County elected officials as well as staff members joined the celebration for the initial 85 acres of the park to include tournament-grade baseball and soccer fields, multi-use open turf, a fishing lake, multi-generational inclusive playgrounds and splash pad, group and individual picnic ramadas, a multi-cell dog park, lighted pickleball courts, supporting park maintenance, restroom, and concessions buildings.

The community park is eventually expected to span 120 acres - to be the city's largest park - and serve the northern part of the city.

Construction of phase 1 is expected to be completed in the summer of 2020.

Mayor Cathy Carlat said it is an absolute joy to celebrate Paloma Park.

She said a thriving city can be measured by opportunities such as parks, open space, cultural amenities and the unique expressions of the people who reside there.

These places and spaces help define the character of a community and are an essential part of the values that enrich the quality of life, and Paloma Community Park will be such a place, she said.

“I have been wanting a park in the northern part of the city to balance the amenities that we have in other parts of our city for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I have been pounding on the dais saying we need more lighted fields, we need more community parks, we need to serve a lot more people than we are serving right now. I just can’t wait to see what it is going to look like. And it all begins with the first turning of a shovel of dirt. ”

Last June, Peoria City Council approved a $34.4 million contract for construction of the park to Gilbert-based Hunter Contracting Co. Total budget for phase 1 of the park is $41.6 million.

John Sefton, parks, recreation and community facilities director, said this community park has been a long time in the making — more than six years ago, when he had a conversation with then Council member Carlat, who represented the Mesquite District, where the park is located.

A project of this magnitude and to be at this pivotal and important place is the result of the hard work, passion and dedication of a lot of people, he said.

“The mayor has led the project and consistently voiced the importance of parks, recreation and the access to open spaces — three critical elements that help build a complete city, and ultimately our very special Peoria,”  Mr. Sefton said.

The park will also include numerous hard and soft surface walking loops and a trailhead for access into the larger New River open space. Future trail connectivity to Peoria’s Westwing Mountain trail system is in the planning stages.

The land is owned by Maricopa County Flood Control District and will be managed by the city through an intergovernmental agreement between the two entities.

County Supervisor Clint Hickman said the park is a good example of two governments working together to bring a park to land that otherwise probably wouldn’t have been used for anything other than flood protection.

“Now it is going to be turned into a fantastic amenity for Peoria and Maricopa County residents,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

Park Timeline

2014: Citizen interest and demand for a new community park north of Bell Road affirmed through the Community Services Master Plan adopted by Mayor and Council.

2015: Initial funding for the park began with a $500,000 multi-year capital improvement budget. The park study began spring of 2015 and completed summer of 2016.

2017: Solicitation for design build services for a qualified technical and landscape construction team. Project delayed when city learned the land, home to the Hohokam native Americans during prehistoric times, needed to follow a federal process to consider the project’s effects on historic properties. Additionally, the park budget increased by about $10 million to about $40 million. In the spring, phase 1 park design and construction drawings began, and a contest to name the park was launched via social media web, and print platforms.

2018: City Council approves final name as Paloma Community Park during a public meeting June 5.

2019: Park breaks ground, April 30.

2020: Construction of phase 1 expected to be completed in summer.