Norwalk officials announced a tentative groundbreaking ceremony for the Hermosillo Park reconstruction on Saturday, Dec. 6, and said the contractor will fence the site and begin on-site work on Monday, Dec. 1.

Parks Director Alan Perdomo told the council the city will hold two direct-impact community meetings and an open house in the weeks before construction, and that residents will receive mailed invitations. Perdomo said the after-school Park Palace program will close Wednesday, Nov. 26, and the last field reservations will be honored through Sunday, Nov. 30 so the community has one last day to use the park before construction begins. "Effective on Monday, December 1, the general contractor, Reyes Construction, will take ownership of the site and they will fence out the park," Perdomo said (00:37:17).

City Manager Jesus Gomez said the majority of project funding is from outside sources and described the full plan as a large, multi-feature park with water-capture systems. Gomez gave a total project estimate of roughly $52,000,000 and said the design will include a new community building that can seat about 200 and a catering kitchen, as well as new soccer fields and other amenities. "A lot of the funding is, in fact, almost all of the funding is from outside sources. So we're happy to announce that minimal dollars are gonna be used from a city's general fund," Gomez said (00:40:44).

Staff recommended the council consider a construction agreement at the Nov. 18 council meeting to authorize work to begin. Perdomo said the park will be closed for about two and a half years while construction proceeds and that staff plan an extensive community celebration and ribbon-cutting when the project finishes, targeted for 2028. Perdomo also said the project team will work with adjacent schools and funding partners to invite broad community participation in the groundbreaking.

The city posted details on upcoming outreach and noted a contractor budget for public relations and neighborhood coordination. Questions from council members and the public were invited at the end of the presentation; no formal action was taken that night beyond scheduling and community-notice steps.

The update builds on prior planning and funding work and follows several years of design and outreach. The city emphasized residents will receive mailed invitations for community meetings and encouraged anyone with questions to attend those sessions when dates are posted.