The seven members of the Camp Verde Town Council packed into a small bus, along with Parks and Recreation Manager Mike Marshall. Behind them, a caravan of cars followed, as those residents who came to the Town Council meeting on Sept. 12 were treated to a eld trip of the ongoing construction at the 110-acre Camp Verde Sports Complex.
The $7 million park project has been the frequent topic of council meetings, candidate debates and other conversation around Camp Verde since before construction began this spring, but with the first phase of the project nearing completion, Sept. 12 marked the first time that the general public was given a tour of the ongoing efforts.
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait for that sports complex,” Vice Mayor Jessie Murdock said after the tour. “It’s been a long time coming and it’s a wonderful investment that the town can afford to make.”
The construction site does not look much like a park. It remains a at portion of dirt at the outskirts of town, dotted with construction equipment and piles of earth. But Marshall did his best to paint a picture of the future complex, pointing to where grass would soon be planted, at the reservoir dug in the ground off the northeast edge of the grounds, ready to be filled with reclaimed water from the water treatment plant and used for irrigation. He showed the plots of land that will soon contain two adjacent baseball fields, along with nearby concession stands and restroom structures, the two planned multi-use elds, a dog park close to the entrance, and the 1.6-mile walking trail around the perimeter of the site.
According to town officials, the first step of building the park — grading the landscape and installing irrigation and electrical infrastructure for future application — is essentially complete. In the fall, the town will assess bids from contractors on the next phase, with construction of ball elds and planting of grass to begin in early 2019. If everything goes according to schedule, an early version of the park should open with most amenities completed in late summer of 2019.
The park plan includes a large parcel of land that is unplanned. The town hopes to develop a design for the second half of the park some time in the future after the first half is open to residents.
Marshall ended his tour at the top of a hill on the eastern edge of the park, with a view of the whole complex below. The sunset was visible over the mountains to the west. Marshall told the assembled that it was his favorite part of the whole park, imagining what he hoped would be a gorgeous view once the construction is complete.
“I’m amazed by the enormity of it, its size and its scope,” Councilman Robin Whatley said after the tour. “It’s going to serve us for decades to come.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
