Preliminary work that could lead to the creation and building of a new 20-acre park and walking trail in Las Cruces is underway as the project enters the design phase.
For well over a year, officials in Dona Ana County have envisioned a park that would be built along the banks of the Rio Grande and would include a playground, fire pit, benches, and restrooms.
What is envisioned as an oblong-shaped park will be partially bordered by the well-used Shalem Colony Trail and will additionally include an adventure and nature play space, turf lawn, and access to the Rio Grande itself.
The project has now taken a significant step forward with the awarding of a more than $85,000 grant from the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation and Trails Grant Program.
The funding will target the beginning of the design portion of the project, while incorporating to some degree suggestions aired by residents during public input meetings.
A press release issued by Dona Ana County says that the project will ultimately “transform an area that previously served as a spot for parties, fires, and illegal dumping into a thriving community space.”
In the last three years, grants awarded from the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation and Trails funding program, which is administered through the State of New Mexico’s Outdoor Recreation Division, have totaled around $21 million for nearly 150 individual trail and park projects.
By Garry Boulard
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