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Keller Sports Park work 73% complete; full park construction expected to finish in January
Summary
Parks staff reported the sports park is 73% complete, with paving and sod installed on multiple fields, the equestrian restroom awaiting final inspection and a certificate of occupancy, and several original baseball fields scheduled for conversion to synthetic turf and offline through spring.
A parks staff member told the Keller Park & Recreation Board on July 3 that Keller Sports Park is about 73% complete and on track for major milestones this winter.
The parks staff member said paving and striping are finished for the soccer parking lot, the soccer parkway and the equestrian lot, and that new baseball fields have backstops, sod and synthetic turf in place. “Keller Sports Park, we’re 73% complete,” the staff member said. He added that the equestrian restroom/storage building is awaiting a TAS inspection and that the city expects to receive a certificate of occupancy and open that facility this month.
Why it matters: the construction timeline affects when youth and adult sports groups can use new fields and when city staff will shift to maintenance and programming responsibilities.
Most important details first: the staff member said crews have begun removing infields from the original baseball and softball fourplexes and converting those fields to synthetic turf; the four converted baseball fields will be offline until spring. The parks staff member described the conversion as “a several month project.”
Staff also discussed field preparation. A parks staff member explained that the soil preparation process — including excavation and moisture conditioning — is the same for baseball and soccer fields and is one of the cost drivers for the project.
Board members raised landscaping and warranty concerns. One board member criticized the planting method for young trees — specifically river birch used near the fields — and said some trees might fail because veiling and burlap were left on root balls during planting. A parks staff member said there will be a warranty and that some dead material will be replaced; the staff member acknowledged the contractor has already identified a tree loss by the equestrian area.
The board also reviewed other amenities that remain in progress. Staff said work on the interactive water feature (commonly called the splash pad) and other finishing details will continue through the fall and winter; construction for the sports park complex overall is scheduled to wrap up in January, with a target for fuller public opening in January or February. Staff asked the board to refrain from using colloquial labels for the interactive feature, saying the city is using “interactive water feature” rather than “wet pad.”
Discussion vs. decision: these are status updates and implementation details; the meeting did not include a formal vote or policy change about the construction schedule, materials or warranties.
What’s next: staff will continue inspections and punch-list work, pursue the certificate of occupancy for the equestrian restroom/storage building, and proceed with synthetic conversions on the older infields. The board discussed measuring and moving bleachers into the arena area once site work is finished.
