53rd Avenue Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 53rd Avenue Park |
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Sports fields at the park
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| Type | Public, city |
| Location | Hillsboro, Oregon United States |
| Area | 43.5 acres (176,000 m2) |
| Created | 2008 |
| Operated by | Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department |
| Status | Partly open |
53rd Avenue Park is a public park located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. It is still being developed, but parts of it opened in 2008. The park covers about 43.5 acres in the middle of the city. Currently, it has two large sports fields covered with special artificial grass. There is also a water fountain being built for fun. The city plans to add a big indoor recreation center. This center will have swimming pools, basketball courts, tennis courts, and exercise areas. Outside, there will be playgrounds for kids and walking paths. The land for the park was bought from a company called Soloflex starting in 2001.
Contents
How the Park Started
Buying the Land for the Park
In January 2001, the city of Hillsboro started talking with a company called Soloflex. They wanted to buy 21 acres of land from them. This land was located along Northeast 53rd Avenue. By February, the city had bought this land to create a future park.
Later, in 2004, the city bought another piece of land from Soloflex. This made the park a total of 33 acres. In 2005, the city bought eight more acres. This included a large building that was 44,000 square feet. The city hoped to turn this building and the land into a big recreation center. They imagined it would have indoor basketball and tennis courts, workout rooms, and even a swimming pool.
Planning and Building the Park
Planning for 53rd Avenue Park began in 2006. The city wanted to start building by 2007. The park was planned to be built in different stages. The first stage was estimated to cost up to $7 million. The plans included sports fields, tennis and basketball courts, paths, and playgrounds. Over 100 local residents gave their ideas for the park's design. The total cost for the whole park project was estimated to be between $44 million and $51 million.
Originally, there were plans for a dog park at this location. However, in July 2006, the city decided to build the dog park, now called Hondo Dog Park, somewhere else.
By December 2006, the park plans were finished. Construction didn't start right away because the city needed to figure out how to pay for it. In 2007, the state of Oregon gave Hillsboro $500,000 from lottery funds. This money helped start the first phase of construction. This first phase cost $4 million and developed 10 acres of the park. It included sports fields, tennis courts, restrooms, parking, basketball courts, and a courtyard with a fountain. The Hillsboro Soccer Club also gave $10,000 to help. Construction began that year with the installation of artificial grass on the soccer fields.
Funding Challenges and Opening
The city then suggested using a special bond to raise nearly $40 million. This money would mostly go towards building the indoor recreation center. The first part of the indoor center would have a soccer field, a pool, basketball courts, a climbing wall, and workout areas. It was hoped to open by the end of 2010 if voters approved the bond. There were also plans to add a very large swimming pool later.
In June 2008, the artificial grass was finished on the sports fields. Construction started on restrooms and concession stands. The next month, the fields opened for people to use.
In July 2008, the city council decided to let voters decide on the $44.5 million bond. About $39.5 million of this money was for the recreation center at 53rd Avenue Park. The bond would pay for a 121,000 square foot building. Future plans included racquetball courts, an indoor skatepark, and an indoor golf area. However, the bond measure was not approved by voters in November 2008.
The concession stands and restrooms were finished in Spring 2009. Other parts of the first phase, like the water fountain, outdoor basketball courts, and parking, were finished by the winter of 2009.
In September 2009, the city started looking at the park plans again. They wanted to figure out how to pay for the rest of the park and if any design changes were needed to save money. The next month, the city asked for ideas for a new name for the park. Its official name had been "53rd Avenue Community Park." In January 2010, Hillsboro parks decided to use the shorter name: "53rd Avenue Park."
What You Can Find at the Park
The park has a large multi-sport field with artificial grass. This field is big enough for two soccer games and has lights for playing at night. There are also public restrooms and a place to buy snacks.
