SAN JUAN — The city of San Juan hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new youth center and park on Friday, where officials touted new amenities they believe will improve the community’s quality of life.
The complex, which will be located on West Sioux Road near North Veterans Boulevard, will feature a walking trail, two indoor basketball courts, an inclusive playground, and a splash pad among other amenities. It will also house the offices for the Parks and Recreation Department.
“What’s going on is a vision that we’ve had for several years, and what that is is a northside park that we’re building for the community here on the northside,” Mayor Mario Garza said. “It means a lot because talking to the citizens of this side of town, it was something that they’d been asking for for a long time. It’s something that’s going to be great for them.”
The project, which is estimated to cost just under $8 million, has been in the works for three years. Garza said that it will be an opportunity for the community to exercise and stay active.
“Kids will be able to come out here to the facility,” Garza said. “It will keep them active and keep them out of the street. It’s a win-win for parents and our kids.”
Garza said that funding for the project has already been budgeted by the city, and that citizens will not see any tax increase as a result of the new complex.
Brian Godinez, principal and owner of ERO Architects, was on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony. He said that the first of two phases, which will include portions of the park and the recreation center, is anticipated to be completed by December of next year.
“It’s a park property that sits on 9-and-a-half acres on the northside of San Juan, and it encompasses just about every feature that a park and recreation area would want,” Godinez said. “Besides a lot of parking spaces, it has a walking trail, it has outdoor sports for soccer and basketball, it will have a splash pad and a pool area, it has shaded picnic grounds for families to be together outdoors, and it has a two-basketball court facility which I believe will house the Parks and Recreation Department.”
“There will be offices and classrooms for kids,” he continued. “It’s all inclusive. It will be accessible for children or individuals with disabilities. It is an inclusive park.”
A timeline for the second phase of the park, which includes the splash pad, is yet to be determined.
“This is a great opportunity for our design team,” Godinez said. “We haven’t designed a park of this magnitude before with this many features. Typically parks have smaller portions or less features than this one. This is one that has just about everything you can think of for a recreation and park area.”
Parks and Recreation Director Patrick Willingham said that the project will help alleviate stress that parents may experience when trying to find activities and a safe environment for their children.
“We have a few parks right now, but if you pass by them in the afternoons they’re full. They’re packed,” Willingham said. “This will give us a little more space to spread the kids out. Also, for the kids on the northside of town, they don’t have to travel to the south side of town. That’s a big plus.”
