North Las Vegas details timelines, scope and cost range for Sparkle park upgrades

City of North Las Vegas park staff on June 10 gave the Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture Advisory Board a progress report on the Sparkle park improvement program, including construction timelines, planned amenities and a preliminary cost range.

The presentation, led by Chris Vasquez, park superintendent, said design work for Phase 1 is complete through 60 percent and the city expects 90 percent plans next month. "Currently, we have reviewed and completed our 60% documents, and we're looking at 90% plans to be submitted next month," Vasquez said. Construction for Phase 1 is anticipated to start late 2025, with completion targets varying by park: Rotary Tot Lot and Brooks Tot Lot are expected to finish in May–June 2026, while College Park and Valley View Park are expected in October–November 2026.

The board heard a detailed list of what each park will receive. Vaquez and staff said Phase 1 work will include new fencing, landscaping, playgrounds, swings and ramadas; Rotary and Brooks will also have community mural work with local artists. College Park is slated to receive a combined basketball/soccer mini pitch, a new restroom building, an exercise court and added swings. Valley View will get a new restroom, lighting and irrigation upgrades, a reconfigured basketball court and reconstruction of a baseball field.

Phase 2 site visits have concluded for Flores Park, Jo Neek Park, Goldcrest Park and Walker Park. Vasquez said design work for Phase 2 begins in summer 2025 and the goal is to start Phase 2 construction in late 2026 after Phase 1 work reaches substantial completion. Planned Phase 2 upgrades include a new exercise court at Flores, shade structures and lighting at Goldcrest, an upgraded splash pad at Walker and restrooms and mini-pitch courts at Jo Neek.

Valerie Derrick, deputy director of parks and recreation, told the board the original overall Sparkle project budget was "around, 9 to $11,000,000" for the first set of parks. She cautioned that inflation and rising construction costs are affecting final pricing and said staff are pursuing value-engineering options. "We are talking with our leadership department to decide, what the goals are and what the way we're gonna approach for getting the cost to okay, get the parks completed," she said.

Board members asked about sequencing and concurrent work. Vasquez confirmed the city intends Phase 2 construction to follow Phase 1, saying: "Correct. That's the exact goal." Board members also raised questions about lighting technology and shade structure durability. Vasquez said the recent LED lighting upgrades are direct LED fixtures and the motion-sensor dim-to-bright systems recommended by a board member have not been installed; he said the department is aware of those systems.

When asked about shade longevity, Vasquez said covers generally last 15 to 20 years under normal conditions with regular inspection and maintenance; he estimated a large 20-by-8 shade cover could cost roughly $12,000 to $15,000 for the fabric alone.

Board members pressed staff for clarity on cost controls; Derrick said staff are performing value-engineering and reviewing what equipment or structures can be reused rather than replaced. Vasquez said public input informed many design choices: playground and amenity selections were driven by neighborhood surveys.

The update also listed recent lighting work completed across the city — 11 parks have received LED lighting upgrades, and additional upgrades in the southern portion of the city are underway. Vasquez said Craig Ranch Regional Park field reservations are being finalized to increase programming capacity.

The presentation did not include final contracts or firm bid results; staff said precise project costs will be refined as design documents and bids are completed.

Ending: Staff said they will return with revised cost estimates as design and bidding progress and asked board members to expect updates when 90 percent plans are reviewed next month.