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Tucson’s Reid Park Reimagined

Tucson, AZ (May 6, 2022) –The City of Tucson is embarking on an exciting three-phase master planning process for Gene C. Reid Park: Reid Park Reimagined. The master planning team includes Tucson Parks and Recreation, Sasaki, Kaneen Communications, and Wheat Design. Rooted in conversations with the community, and a thorough understanding of the park’s physical conditions, the purpose of this master plan will be to arrive at a design that protects the best of Gene C. Reid Park while casting a vision for future improvements. Over the next nine months, the planning team will rigorously engage the community. 

Phase 1: Discovery (April through May)

As part of the first phase, Discovery, the master planning team began by learning everything they could about the park’s ecological health, programming, access, buildings, and more. The team also spent the first part of the project getting ready to talk with the community. Earlier this week, the master planning team hosted stakeholder meetings focused on gathering input, asking questions, documenting concerns, and having conversations about aspirations for the future of the park. 

This month, the planning team will be engaging with the community through a variety of ways: 

  • Launch of the project website English (bit.ly/reidparkreimagined) or Spanish (bit.ly/reidparkreimaginedSP) 
  • A map-based survey to gather input about how the community uses the park and their priorities for the future of the park. The survey will close on Tuesday, May 31, at 11:59 p.m. 
  • Visiting local events at the park and across the city to inform the public about the project, share ideas, and the survey 

Input in this phase will influence the design ideas that are generated. Community input is a critical component of the planning process, and this is just the first engagement opportunity of many for the broader Tucson community to share their feedback. 

Phase 2: Vision (June through September)

The outcome of Phase 1 conversations, survey responses, and other input in May provides the master planning team with a solid foundation to develop concept options for the park. Concept options will include multiple options for what the park could look like in the future. This phase will include more engagement opportunities for feedback on the concept options presented.  

Phase 3: Action (September through December)

Finally, all the input on the concept options will be taken and refined into one plan, including costs and phasing of the projects, that will be presented to the community for more feedback, resulting in the final master plan. The Gene C. Reid Park Master Plan will provide a roadmap for the park’s long-term evolution and will be used to help guide future investments in the park with the confidence that they fit into a larger strategic vision. A park master plan is important to ensure that available resources are allocated efficiently and to the items of highest priority as identified by the community. As these investments are made, different funding sources will be used as appropriate for the project. State, federal, and local grants; private and nonprofit partnerships; and voter-approved Proposition 407 bond funds are all likely sources of funding for capital improvements. 

Visit the project website in English (bit.ly/reidparkreimagined) or Spanish (bit.ly/reidparkreimaginedSP) for the latest project updates and ways to share ideas and input. Sign up for the email list to receive future updates on this project HERE. 

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