Santa Rita Park to reopen after $8 million renovation with weekend celebration

For Tucson’s south side, Santa Rita Park is reopening as a larger, more accessible gathering place after an approximately $8 million renovation. The park at 401 E. 22nd St. will welcome residents with a Friday evening ribbon cutting, followed by a Saturday night community movie event. The improvements are intended to bring back families, athletes and neighbors to one of Tucson’s oldest parks, while addressing concerns about safety, accessibility and long-term maintenance.

The grand reopening celebration begins Friday at 5 p.m., with the official ribbon cutting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The event will give residents their first public look at the renovated grounds, which include a shaded splash pad, a new playground, upgraded sports facilities, new walking routes and more than 300 newly planted trees and shrubs. On Saturday, the Ward 5 Council Office will host a Movies in the Park gathering. Activities, food trucks and family entertainment begin at 6 p.m., with the outdoor screening scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Residents are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs.

The project grew out of a multiyear planning process that began in 2021 and included five public meetings and nearly 800 survey responses, along with three surveys. The city has said residents’ priorities shaped many of the final features. Funding included voter approved Proposition 407, Tucson Delivers, the City Framework, a Tohono O’odham Nation Gaming Grant and impact fees. Mayor Regina Romero has said Proposition 407, approved by voters in 2017, dedicated more than $1 million toward reimagining and revitalizing the park, while the total renovation investment is more than $8 million.

Construction lasted about a year and a half. The finished park now has asphalt and decomposed granite paths around its perimeter, with additional connections across the grounds. New concrete walkways improve access for people with disabilities, and a new irrigation system supports fresh grass in common areas and on the sports fields. A parking lot with an entrance from 22nd Street is also part of the project, giving visitors a new way to reach the park.

Sports facilities received substantial changes. The existing baseball field was moved to the park’s southeast corner, and two multipurpose fields were added for other activities. City officials say they are working with several sports user groups to schedule regular games and practices. Ward 5 Councilmember Selina Barajas said the intention is to keep the park in use throughout the week, with sports leagues planned from Monday through Sunday. Consistent activity, city officials said, can help make the park more welcoming and safer.

The renovation also adds a new restroom, a playground and the splash pad, giving children new places to play and families more reasons to spend time at the park. Public art connects the redesigned grounds to the neighborhood’s history. Artist Oliverio Balcells created a mosaic mural and two metal benches, while students from Borton Elementary School made ceramic tiles for the mural’s border with guidance from outdoor learning teacher Mikeala Jones.

For longtime residents, the reopening carries an emotional significance beyond the construction work. Leslie Hawthorne Klinger, a coordinator and member of Friends of Santa Rita Park, said generations of Tucsonans learned to ride bikes, skated and brought their own children to the park. She said those memories became harder to sustain as the park deteriorated and experienced misuse. Klinger also noted that the park had increasingly served unsheltered residents without having the infrastructure needed to support everyone using the space.

That history has made safety and continued community involvement central to the park’s next chapter. Klinger said families who once regularly visited had stopped coming because the area felt uncomfortable or unsafe for children. Police have established patrols, and Barajas said she has worked with local groups to identify needs involving restrooms, lighting and other park operations. Klinger has launched the Santa Rita Habit, an initiative encouraging people to visit twice a week, record when they come and help maintain a visible community presence.

Barajas, who lived near the park and attended neighborhood meetings before taking office, said the process was personally important to her. Klinger said the renovation is only a beginning and that the park must remain a place where families feel comfortable. City officials similarly describe daily use as essential, pointing to planned sports, family activities and events throughout the year. With the reopening celebrations, new facilities and ongoing neighborhood participation, Santa Rita Park is being positioned not only as a renovated property, but as a renewed gathering place for the south side.