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City and Park District review draft plan for Northwest Park, concept priced at about $9.6 million
Summary
City planners and consultant NV5 presented a draft preferred concept for the 2.2–2.5 acre Northwest Park: a 16,000 sq ft pavilion with year-round programming plus playgrounds, bouldering, and interpretive trails. Conceptual cost is about $9.6M with phasing options.
City of Sisters planners and a consultant team laid out a draft preferred concept for the Northwest Park at a joint workshop with the Sisters Park and Recreation District on Dec. 10.
John Champlin, a landscape architect with NV5, described “Option C” as the top choice after public outreach: a roughly 16,000-square-foot pavilion fronting a program space, seasonal hard-surface courts (basketball/volleyball/pickleball), and a conditioned surface that could serve as an ice rink in winter. Champlin also highlighted a NatureScape playground, a 3 Sisters–themed bouldering zone and an interpretive walkway woven through the canopy. “We are a little under 3 acres,” Champlin said, noting the design aims to fit the site’s footprint and neighborhood context.
The team presented conceptual cost estimates and a phasing approach. Champlin reported a total conceptual project cost of roughly $9,600,000, with site improvements (parking, playscape, pathways, bouldering and small lawns) estimated at about $1.3 million and the pavilion alone conceptually estimated at about $8.4 million. He cautioned those figures are preliminary: “These numbers are developed without the benefit of final engineering of any kind,” Champlin said.
Council members and park board representatives focused questions on operations and lifecycle costs, particularly for a potential ice-rink component. Bob Kiefer, president of the Sisters Park and Recreation District board, and others urged careful analysis of operating costs and demand before committing to year-round programming. City Manager Jordan Wheeler and Principal Planner Matthew Martin discussed phasing and partnership roles, emphasizing the need to decide which organization would manage programming and when elements like restrooms must be in place if the city proceeds with phased construction.
Next steps: staff said the master-planning process will continue with cost analysis and refinement, with a target to finish the plan by February–March 2026 and to return with more detailed phasing and funding options.
