Upgrade plans are in the works for a popular park in Durango, which runs adjacent to the banks of the Animas River.
Located at 149 S. Camino del Rio on the south side of the city, the Santa Rita Park, which features a river trail, playground, and fishing area, among other features, has been the subject of several city studies looking at how to make the site more user-friendly.
Now the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is planning to soon issue a Request for Proposals for a project that will see the building of several new park features.
Those features include a covered picnic pavilion, as well as a new basketball court and two sand volleyball courts.
But before any work on the project can begin, an existing wood-frame building at the site will be demolished to make way for the new features.
That nearly 40 year-old, barn-like structure is the former home of the Durango Chamber of Commerce, which moved its headquarters to a new location in downtown Durango two years ago.
Earlier this year the city sponsored an auction to find a new owner for the structure, only to see the winning bidder withdraw from the process after realizing that he was required to either move the building, dismantle it, or demolish it.
It is thought that the city may now proceed on its own with the demolition of the structure.
At exact schedule for when work on the new park amenities will begin has not yet been announced, but reports have indicated that project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
By Garry Boulard
