Wood of, could of: 100 Acre Wood set to re-open as neighbors share mixed reactions

For Tucson residents who live near midtown’s Roberts neighborhood, the planned reopening of the 100 Acre Wood will restore a familiar place to ride bikes, walk and spend time outdoors, while also bringing renewed attention to how the large recreation area is managed. The city has scheduled the park’s return for Oct. 19, following construction of new BMX bike runs and paths. Neighbors have welcomed the return of recreational opportunities, but they also have concerns about activity in and around the park, particularly after dark.

The 100 Acre Wood has long been part of the Roberts neighborhood’s identity. For longtime residents, it is not simply an undeveloped area or a construction site. It is a place connected to childhood memories, informal play and neighborhood access to outdoor recreation. The park’s location in midtown means nearby residents can reach it without driving to the edges of Tucson, an important benefit for people who want to bike or spend time outside close to home.

TJ Franco, who grew up in Roberts, remembers the park as a place filled with bike paths, ramps and other features that drew children from the neighborhood and surrounding areas. Its earlier layout gave young riders a place to explore and practice, and Franco said the area was a fun destination when he was growing up. The new BMX infrastructure is expected to bring back some of that character while adding updated facilities for riders.

Franco said the reopening will make it easier for him to ride his mountain bike without traveling to Tucson’s outskirts. For him, the park’s return is a practical improvement as well as a return to something familiar. He plans to use the new area, and he does not view occasional camping as automatically incompatible with recreation. His perspective is that park users and people staying in the area can share the space as long as they do not interfere with one another.

The park’s recent history is more complicated. The city closed the 100 Acre Wood at the end of 2025, when construction began on the BMX runs and paths. Before the closure, the area had also become the site of Tucson’s largest unsheltered homeless encampment. That encampment changed how the park and the surrounding streets were used, and it affected the experience of people living nearby.

Residents said the encampment brought more foot traffic into the Roberts neighborhood. Roy Salcido, another longtime resident, described people walking through neighborhood streets in search of water. He said some left faucets running, an experience that contributed to his concerns about the effects of the encampment on nearby households. Salcido supports reopening the 100 Acre Wood, but he wants the city to provide a visible and consistent police presence once the park is available again.

Safety and oversight after sunset are central to Salcido’s concerns. He raised the possibility of a time limit on access through the area after dark, reflecting questions about whether the park will remain comfortable for residents and visitors during evening hours. The reopening plan, as described by the city, establishes an opening date, but the information available does not specify additional rules for nighttime use, a regular patrol schedule or how city officials will address conflicts between park users and people camping nearby.

Those questions come as Tucson continues to confront overlapping issues involving homelessness, public land and access to recreation. The 100 Acre Wood has served as both a neighborhood open space and a location where unsheltered people lived, making the park’s future important to more than one group. A renovated recreation area may encourage more cycling and neighborhood activity, but its success will also depend on how the city manages the space and responds to residents’ concerns.

For Roberts residents, the Oct. 19 reopening represents both a return and a transition. Riders will gain new BMX runs and paths, and people such as Franco will again have a nearby place to bike. At the same time, neighbors such as Salcido will be watching how the park functions after construction, especially at night and along the streets around it. The city’s decision to reopen the 100 Acre Wood restores a midtown recreation destination, but the community’s mixed reactions show that its next chapter will involve not only new paths and ramps, but also ongoing questions about shared public space.