Glendora staff outlines parks, teen center and major Finkbeiner stormwater project timelines

Glendora recreation staff presented a package of capital-improvement projects to the Community Service Commission, including a playground replacement at the teen center slated to begin in early October and a multi‑phase $19,000,000 stormwater-capture project at Finkbeiner Park that city staff said is expected to go to bid in 2026 with construction beginning in 2027.

The department reported the teen center playground installation is scheduled to start October 6 and is expected to take a couple of weeks. Staff also noted a roof replacement for the teen center gym is planned for early 2026. Improvements at the teen center will also include new flooring, paint and other work to the historic side of the building, the report said.

Other planned improvements described by Human Recreation/Human Services Director John Aguirre include an American Legion building restroom remodel starting in late December, a trash-enclosure replacement, a potential new kitchen at the Scout Hut, and a shade structure at Gladstone Park that staff expect to present to city council in October with construction beginning in February. The South Hills Bike Park design is roughly 95% complete and awaiting state approvals; staff said they expect construction to start next summer or fall if approvals are secured.

Aguirre said plans to resurface the skatepark will repair cracks and address deferred maintenance dating to the park’s original 1999 construction. He also described the Finkbeiner Park stormwater capture project as a multi‑year effort: staff learned in a recent meeting that the project will receive its first funding installment this year, a second in 2026, and that construction will likely require the park and its softball fields and courts to be closed for roughly a year to 18 months.

Aguirre emphasized the phased funding schedule: “It’s a $19,000,000 project, so they’re paying us in three installments — that’s why we’re waiting until we get installments before we start the project,” he said.

The presentation noted ongoing planning for a parks-and-trails master plan, anticipated to begin later this year or early next year and to take about a year, and asked commissioners to be prepared for outreach. Staff also said public works will evaluate whether existing day‑camp restrooms should be rebuilt as single‑stall facilities or replaced entirely.

Commissioners thanked staff for the update and for the volume of work in progress; no formal action was required at the meeting.