Rotary Park will get a basketball court, new restrooms and more parking, among other additions, later this year.
Moab city officials are planning now for the improvements, targeted to cost $205,000.
Construction should start this summer and much of the work should be done this fall, officials said.
Construction was delayed this spring when officials discovered a large irrigation pipe where they had initially planned to put the basketball court.
So they had to reconfigure some things and now plan to put the project out to bid this summer.
What park-goers can expect:
– A basketball court in front of the amphitheater on the park’s southeast side. “It’s kind of tucked away in a corner, so people don’t even really know it’s there,” said Rebecca Andrus, city engineer. “One of the goals of this project is to try to make that a more usable space and something people notice more.” The court would be built over the grass that’s in that space now.
– Concrete between the benches at the amphitheater to prevent weeds from growing. The amphitheater was originally built as an outdoor classroom to be used by teachers and students at Red Rock Elementary, but it was seldom used, Andrus said. Red Rock is no longer open.
– New restrooms to replace the existing restrooms. The new restrooms will use gravity to bring waste to the sewer system. The existing restrooms have to be pumped out.
– Picnic tables and pavilions
– More parking – 17 more spaces, Andrus said.
– Additional musical equipment including bongo drums that require a shelter. A Rotarian has applied for an $1,800 grant to pay for that shelter. The rest of the project will be paid for out of the city budget.
– Stairs from the upper level to the amphitheater to better connect the two spaces.
– An interactive water feature. Specifics still to be decided.
“It’s a really neat thing,” Andrus said about the project. “Rotary Park is kind of a community treasure just because it is used by other people from various places but it’s also kind of secluded so not everybody uses it. Plus, it’s unique. The musical instruments are just something you don’t have at every park. That’s an amazing form of free play for kids.”
The city bought the land on the upper east side of the park several years ago, said David Olsen, community development director. Last year, officials removed a trailer that had been there and cleaned up the area. More clean-up work was done this year.
He expects the project to need a second phase but said officials will try to get 90 percent of the work done with the money budgeted.
It’s an important area to maintain and improve, he said.
“Even though it’s a small park, it’s loved by everyone,” Olsen said. “I get more calls about how cool of a park that is than any place. It’s a favorite park of many people. It’s just kind of evolved as a great park to fix up.”
