Copper Sky park, rec center opening draws near

It was T-minus four days until the official opening of Maricopa’s 96-acre recreation complex, but that didn’t stop Steel Lewis, 12, Hunter Scott, 12, and Josh Hinkle, 9, from coming onto the facility’s grounds Wednesday afternoon for a bit of fun.

The three kids climbed on objects in one of two playgrounds at the regional park, part of the city’s new Copper Sky Recreation Complex at John Wayne Parkway and Bowlin Road, which officially opens Sunday.

The playground is complete with ropes, curved bars, objects that spin, and other equipment that appears more like instruments found in a Dr. Seuss book than a typical jungle gym.

“It is fun,” Lewis said.

Scott concurred: “It’s very fun. It’s good for parkour.”

His reference is to a sport made popular through YouTube videos and other media in which people overcome obstacles in an urban environment by running, jumping and performing other tricky movements.

Lewis, who also does the sport, said he was self-taught. The boy pointed out his favorite part of the playground.

“I like the ropes going across and the spinning things,” Lewis said. “I don’t know what it’s called.”

Travis Karlen, Maricopa’s recreation manager, who started at the city in October, drove members of the media and a staff person around the park Wednesday on a six-seated golf cart during a tour of the facilities. Karlen said complex workers weren’t trying to keep the kids out.

“We’ve just decided it’s safe enough,” Karlen said. “Just let them have it.”

His comment was noting how crews were still cleaning up different parts of the complex and adding details in preparation for the grand opening.

The complex will open Sunday at 11 a.m. An open house will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, giving anyone an opportunity to view the facilities. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication also will be held that day.

City staff has been working overtime to get things prepared.

“Everybody’s been working overtime,” Karlen said. “And we’re going to continue working overtime for the next two weeks.”

The complexity of the facility – a park and a recreation center – puts the high cost in perspective. The facilities’ price tag comes to around $53 million. The cost has been covered through bonds with debt being paid back using secondary property taxes. Voters passed a tax increase in November 2008 by approving $65.5 million in parks, recreation and libraries improvement.

A city staff report from late last year estimated the recreation center would generate annual revenue of $1.49 million – about 75 percent of the estimated expenses. The city intends to subsidize the rest. The Ak-Chin Indian Community gave Maricopa $7.4 million last year to help pay for the operation of the center.

The park includes a 5-acre catch-and-keep lake stocked with bass, rainbow trout, catfish, bluegill and white armur; eight multi-purpose sports fields; seven ramadas; a dog park; a skate plaza with stairs, benches and curved walls; four baseball fields; tennis and volleyball courts; an amphitheatre; and the playgrounds.

A concession stand is included at the baseball fields and Karlen said an request-for-proposal process is underway for an organization to provide concessions. He also said the Maricopa Dog Park Alliance is working on getting a shade structure added to the dog park.