PHOENIX (AZFamily) — One of the most iconic Valley parks is undergoing a major renovation complete with a splash pad and huge indoor train structure. McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale is getting this big makeover just ahead of the park’s 50th anniversary!
“During the summer months, we saw a huge dip in attendance as you can imagine it’s hot out and we didn’t have any indoor space for kids to kind of cool off and families to enjoy so it’s important that we bring that element to the park so people can come visit us 365,” Stephanie Tippett, Parks and Recreation Manager at the City of Scottsdale, said.
The $13 million project will include a 10,000 square foot indoor play structure plus a 5,000 square foot splash pad. It’s perfect for the Valley’s hot summers!
“We are really kind of going with the arch of fountains, the things that come up and out of the ground. It’s going to be nice and open for those younger kids to be able to toggle around on the splash pad area. We’re going to have over 40 different pieces of water coming up and out of the ground and spraying the kids so it’s going to be really exciting for them,” Tippett added.
The huge indoor play space will be built in the shape of a train with three levels of play space!
“The very top has a cargo net that’s in the shape of like a smokestack so it’s as if you’ve gone into a steam engine and you can get all the way up to the top and kind of run around. And if you can imagine 20 feet is pretty high, so the kids can really get an aerial view inside of that play structure,” Tippett said.
Construction started in April and is expected to last a little over a year with a completion date of early summer 2025.
Tippett says the park will stay open during construction with summer hours starting in June.
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