Maricopa council hears master-plan vision for 55‑acre 'Iconic Park,' directs staff to advance site and master planning

Maricopa officials and consultants on Feb. 15 reviewed a conceptual master plan for a 55‑acre Civic Center park — billed in the presentation as a regional, “one‑of‑a‑kind” destination — and directed staff to move ahead with more detailed site and master planning and public outreach. No budget or binding commitment was approved.

City parks staff framed the briefing as 30,000‑foot visioning; Rocky Brown, the city’s parks and recreation director, said the aim is to create a “hallmark” for the community that supports both resident amenities and economic activity. Consultants from JHU Design and a partnering architecture firm showed early concepts that center on a unifying rain‑capture “ribbon” through the site and a large, sculptural “cloud” pavilion intended to provide shade and hold play and performance infrastructure.

“My name is Jeff Velasquez. I am a principal landscape architect with JHU Design,” Velasquez told council members as he described the thematic approach. He characterized the park as “a love letter to Arizona,” and outlined components that included a 3.5‑acre urban fishing lake, an amphitheater/great…