City bond projects moving ahead; completion date for all four is end of 2022

City of Las Cruces parks, trails, sports facilities, dog parks, a new fire station and a new Animal Services Center are among projects in various stages of construction and renovation thanks to four general obligation bond issues passed by city voters in 2018.

City Public Works Department Director David Sedillo said all projects should be completed by the end of calendar year 2022. They are being paid for with $35.6 million in GO bond funds from the August 2018 all-mail election. About 15,000 votes were recorded for each of the four questions in that election, all of which passed.

The four approved questions allocate $16.9 million for Question 1) improvements to city parks and sports fields and two dog parks; Question 2) $9.8 million to construct a new animal shelter; Question 3) $6.2 million to build a new Fire Station No. 3, and 4) $2.7 million to build and improve city walking, jogging and biking trails.

Specific project updates are as follows:

• Question 1: Work on Hadley Recreation Complex began Oct. 7, 2020. Improvements are about 28 percent complete at Ralph Maag Park, 1700 E. Hadley Ave., including lighting, concession stands, restrooms and the crow’s nest. The work should be finished by Feb. 19. Work also is underway on lighting at Jim Harty Ball Field and should be completed by May 31. Construction began Oct. 7 on rehabilitation work at Lions Park, 701 W. Picacho Ave. The work is about 30 percent complete and should be finished by the end of 2021. Improvements to Desert Trails Community Park, 3492 Sonora Springs, began Oct. 7 and should be completed by March 15. It includes repairing a parking lot drain and erosion control. Drawings for work to be done at Unidad Park, 1500 E. Hadley Ave., are 90 percent complete. The project will include installation of a splash pad, showers and a recirculating water system. The city saved $140,000 on the purchase of the splash pad and other equipment for the project, Sedillo said. Those funds will help pay for the recirculating system. Drawings were due Feb. 5 for phase one work at East Mesa Recreation Complex, including soccer, football and multi-use fields, a baseball complex and pickleball courts, along with a 10-acre traditional park. The recreation complex is adjacent to the East Mesa Public Safety Complex, 550 N. Sonoma Ranch Blvd.
• Question 2: Construction of a new Animal Services Center, to be build adjacent to the existing center, 3551 Bataan Memorial West, could begin in February. The highest-ranked contractor for the project was selected Jan. 21. Construction of two dog parks will be incorporated with the project.
• Question 3: Construction of a new Fire Station No. 3, adjacent to the existing station at 390 N. Valley Drive, began Jan. 20 and should be completed this year. The existing Fire Station No. 3 was built in 1967 and is experiencing serious structural issues. The station, which is the busiest single-unit fire station in the city, is too small to add a second unit and lacks the capacity it needs to address the growing population the station serves on the city’s west side.
• Question 4: Notice to proceed with work on walking, jogging and biking trails is expected Feb. 5. The trails include Armijo Lateral, Southwest City Loop (Mesilla Drain) and Las Cruces Lateral.

For updated information about GO Bond projects, visit www.las-cruces.org/1892/General-Obligation-Bond-Projects.