Study recommends expanded park at Cirque Park site with pickleball courts, splash pad and phased build‑out

City staff and a consultant team presented the final site‑plan study for the Cirque Park community‑center block (referred to in materials as the CERT Park site) at the May 5, 2025 study session, recommending an "expanded park" approach rather than immediate construction of an indoor community center.

Consultant Paul Curtis of ARC Architects summarized a year‑long study that combined the 2020 parks plan with new outreach, three public surveys and a public open house. The team tested three broad program options — expanded outdoor park, environmental center and full community center — and said the expanded‑park option ranked highest among respondents.

"The expanded park option was the number 1 ranked solution," Curtis said. That preferred program emphasizes multi‑use sports courts configured to accommodate pickleball, a spray‑play splash pad with an adjacent pump/restroom building, an event lawn, walking and biking trails into the natural area, an entry plaza and additional parking to support increased visitation.

Costs and phasing The study included cost estimates and a recommended phasing approach to allow the city to pursue smaller funding steps rather than a single large capital project. Estimated hard construction costs presented to council (escalated to near‑term pricing) included an entry plaza and parking at roughly $775,000; sports courts without a roof about $2.2 million and about $3.0 million with a metal roof and lighting; restrooms and a splash pad combined near $3.9–4.0 million; walking and bike trails about $300,000; and the event lawn roughly $300,000. The consultant said design and other soft costs, taxes and contingencies are additional and were not included in the headline hard‑cost totals.

Recommended phasing prioritized site‑support work (entry plaza and parking) and the sports courts (with the option to add a roof later), followed by restrooms/splash pad, trails and the event lawn. The plan also proposed a flexible approach so the city could pursue funding for individual pieces as opportunities arise.

Public input and financial caution Parks commissioners said feedback at the public meeting stressed financial sustainability: many participants were supportive of improvements but voiced concern about projects the city could not afford to operate long term. Parks Vice Chair Alicia Cunningham told council that meeting attendees were "very, concerned about the city moving forward with something that we couldn't financially sustain." Commissioners and staff said that principle guided the recommended approach: more modest, lower‑maintenance amenities that nevertheless offer increased year‑round use.

Next steps and timeline Consultants recommended a design phase (roughly nine to 12 months) followed by a construction phase (another nine to 12 months), depending on scope and whether multiple elements are bundled. Staff and commissioners described fundraising and grant‑seeking as the obvious next steps; no appropriation or construction contract was authorized at the study session.

Ending Councilmembers expressed general enthusiasm for the recommendations while reiterating that any implementation should remain sensitive to long‑term maintenance costs. No formal action was taken; staff will return with more detailed cost‑and‑funding analyses if council wishes to proceed.