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El Paso council names East Side sports complex for mentor Richard A. Castro and approves $11.7 million Phase 2 of Eastside Regional Park
Summary
The council unanimously approved a resolution renaming East Side Sports Complex for longtime coach and donor Richard A. Castro and awarded an $11,707,607 contract to Grayson Engineering to build Phase 2 of Eastside Regional Park, adding sports fields and 10 pickleball courts.
El Paso City Council unanimously approved two measures Tuesday that officials said will expand recreation on the city’s Far East Side and honor a longtime youth coach.
By a unanimous vote, council renamed the East Side Sports Complex at 14380 Montwood Drive the Richard A. Castro East Side Sports Complex. Community leaders and former players described Castro’s decades of mentoring, scholarship programs and local tournaments. “What is happening today is going to live for generations to come,” Castro said, thanking supporters and city staff for advancing the resolution.
Council then voted to award Solicitation 2025-0545 for Eastside Regional Park Phase 2 to Grayson Engineering & Construction Inc. The contract award is estimated at $11,707,607 to construct roughly 650,000 square feet of park improvements, including softball fields, handball and sand-volleyball courts, basketball courts, restrooms and a parking area. Parks staff said grant funding and project savings, together with investment earnings, funded the phase so no new city taxes were requested.
Representative Ivan Nino, whose district includes the site, said the project had been a promise to District 5 residents for nearly two decades and emphasized community input in the design. He noted city staff increased the pickleball courts from an earlier four to 10 after local organizers explained tournament requirements and regional demand. “This phase now will include 10 pickleball courts along with many other amenities, creating new opportunities for recreation, tournaments, and economic activity for the city of El Paso,” Nino said.
Capital Improvements staff described a typical schedule: contract execution expected about four weeks after council approval and construction beginning in spring, with landscaping, irrigation and site amenities included in the scope. The project backup lists six funding sources; staff did not detail each source at the hearing.
Council members and community speakers framed both actions as investments in youth, health and quality of life. The council also promised a public dedication and future programs to mark the renaming.
The council approved both measures unanimously; Representative Acevedo was recorded as not present for one vote.
