City manager: Expanding Copper Sky jewel will help rest of city shine

Jan 19, 2021

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The expansion of Copper Sky Regional Park – with more athletic fields, retail shops, restaurants and perhaps a multi-use stadium to join a hotel set to open soon – will drive the city’s efforts to become a regional destination.

Lakeside dining, anyone?

The park was one of the focal points of a planning presentation given last week to city council by City Manager Rick Horst. With La Quinta Inn expected to open in March, Horst laid out an ambitious vision for complimentary projects. According to Horst, Copper Sky can be leveraged to attract other assets to help propel the city’s growth.

“We want to paint a picture about how we can use this very valuable asset to grow additional assets,” he said.

He noted that the city already has the Copper Sky commercial project coming. That includes La Quinta, a senior living facility and potentially another hotel. Wyndham, the corporate parent of La Quinta, has the first right of refusal on other hotels in the area and, according to Horst, has expressed interest in building an extended stay hotel. Wyndham owns Hawthorn Suites, a brand that caters to extended stay guests.

The city also has purchased 10 acres on the corner, creating other opportunities for retail, restaurant pads and special shops and boutiques.

Sports and recreation will continue to be a focus at Copper Sky, according to Horst.

“We’ve got 80 acres out there of the 360 acres in Copper Sky,” he said. “We need additional fields for softball, for soccer. Maybe even a stadium that could be used by all the high schools, all the middle schools, for tournaments.”

He noted a stadium could become a regional attraction, bringing in visitors who would fill hotels and restaurants, driving up tax revenues. The park already hosts many youth tournaments for multiple sports.

Horst also recommended shifting some uses of the land, with the existing dog park moving to the east to create room for retail space to take advantage of visibility and easy access along John Wayne Parkway.

“We need that frontage where 60,000 people pass by per day,” he said, adding that “it’s just too valuable” to remain a dog park that does not generate tax revenue. He indicated those prime spots along John Wayne Parkway could be marketed for upscale retail and restaurants.

In a big swing, Horst speculated the city might be able to create lakeside dining opportunities along the east side of the lake at Copper Sky, perhaps with a boardwalk.

“That creates a land lease that generates revenues we can then put back into the park and keep funding it for the future,” he said. “We want to create a sense of place – create places that are worthy of our affection.”

Horst went even further saying the city could create an entertainment district in the area, building facilities that can support mixed use beyond sports.