City park 30% design advances after value-engineering; gym expanded to two full-size courts, splash pad relocated

Corona City staff and the project design team presented a finalized 30% design for the new city park at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on Feb. 11, describing a set of council-directed value-engineering changes and a construction timeline.

Why it matters: the design changes preserve primary park programming while reducing some exterior hardscape and interior finishes. Staff said the revisions improve the building’s spatial efficiency while delivering additional indoor court capacity that the project team said will help meet local demand for sports courts.

Design changes and programming Ms. Finch, Parks and Recreation staff, summarized the value-engineering directions adopted by City Council and implemented in the 30% drawings: a 10% reduction in the fitness center (about 2,200 square feet), removal of the spin room, a 40% reduction in interior plaster walls replaced with gypsum board, a 20% reduction in exterior glazing, a 33% reduction in conference-room area, replacement of roofing with a PVC single-ply simulated seam material, removal of an outdoor ramp, and a 20% reduction in paved surfaces across the park. Despite these reductions, the gymnasium footprint was expanded to provide two full-size basketball courts.

"What we ended up with is a much more improved efficiency to our community building as well as a more natural park like setting," Finch said.

Finch reported the revised building program produces a building of roughly 58,749 square feet with a 14% reduction in programmable interior area overall but a 45% increase in gymnasium area. The site plan shows a reshuffled layout that relocates and expands the pump track and skate-park area, repositions and enlarges the splash pad to include towers and overhead water features, and converts previously planned built-in terrace seating to turf and softened landscape.

Parking and circulation The design adds 16 parking spaces to a north-side lot while slightly reducing spaces in the primary lot, yielding a net-neutral parking count in the plan, Finch said. Several commissioners asked about the promenade width and surface, use of banding or wayfinding to break up large expanses, and whether the park’s “crown” concept would remain after the value-engineering changes. Finch said lighting, tree selection and fixed loose furniture will continue to reinforce the crown idea.

Commissioner feedback Commissioner Olsen objected to removing an outdoor sports court from the immediate park footprint and said outdoor basketball is heavily used in the evenings. Finch and the design team said adding two full courts inside the community building produces a net increase in full-size court capacity even though the outdoor court layout changed. "We are adding a sports court. Right now we only have the two half courts. This is giving us two full size courts," staff said in response to the commission.

Schedule Finch said the project team completed 30% construction drawings in January and plans to finish design in October, issue a bid package that month, and pursue a contract award by December. Mobilization is estimated to begin in early 2026 with construction starting in spring 2026 on a roughly two‑year schedule.

Next steps Staff asked the commission to receive and file the 30% design update and said the design team from Rios was available for technical questions. No ordinance, budget vote, or contract award occurred at the meeting; the commission provided feedback and asked for further renderings and material detail in future updates.