Hance Park Construction Update – Phase 1A Enhancements
Hance Park is one of Grace’s nearest neighbors. Here is an update on the construction of the master plan.
Additional construction-related activity and landscape enhancements are scheduled to take place during the coming weeks on the west side of Margaret T. Hance Park.
Starting the week of February 15 and lasting for approximately two weeks, contractor Haydon Building Corp will install a new set of steps on the north side of the area that was recently renovated as part of phase 1A of the park’s revitalization project. The new steps are being added to provide an access point for park visitors who are entering from the north or the Culver Street parking lot. During construction, the north sidewalk and a portion of the escarpment walking path will be closed to parkgoers during daytime hours. Also during this time, Haydon Building Corp will be power washing the walking paths in this area of the park. Sections of the pathways will be intermittently unavailable when being cleaned. Aside from the pathways being temporarily wet from the cleaning, there should be no further impact to visitors.
Starting the week of February 22 and lasting for approximately two weeks, a project to enhance landscape plantings, including adding additional trees to the south side of the escarpment, will take place. The work will occur during daytime hours. During the planting work, a portion of the escarpment walking path as well as the north perimeter of Fiesta Bowl PLAY will be impacted; however, Fiesta Bowl PLAY will remain accessible throughout, and visitors will have access to that amenity via the east entrance. The enhanced plantings are a result of feedback from the community.
Completion of the $8.6 million phase 1A of the Hance Park Revitalization Project was substantially completed in December. The centerpiece of this first phase of the project is the Fiesta Bowl PLAY at Hance Park, which was made possible thanks to a $2 million legacy gift from the Fiesta Bowl and supporting partners. Phase 1A also included construction of the infrastructure, escarpment and landscaping that surrounds PLAY. Funding for the remainder of the project was supported by the Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative (PPPI), which is a voter-approved sales tax that supports annual capital improvements to facilities managed by the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.
The revitalization project is a public-private partnership led by the Hance Park Partner Coalition, consisting of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, Phoenix Community Alliance (PCA) and Hance Park Conservancy (HPC). A fundraising campaign being led by PCA and HPC is focused on raising approximately $40 million in private funding to continue phase one.
Additional information about the Hance Park Revitalization Project and instructions for how to subscribe to the e-version of the project newsletter is available at Phoenix.gov/Parks/HanceRevitalization.