June 9 opening date set for Centennial Park
SOMERTON — A new park that marks Somerton’s 100 years as a city will formally open in a celebration slated June 9.
Centennial Park, located on the Somerton’s northeast side at the corner of Somerton Avenue and George Street, takes its name from 100th anniversary of the city’s founding on June 4, 1918.
Park inauguration had been planned for June 2, closer to the anniversary date, but the celebration would have conflicted with a retreat scheduled by the city council to review the city’s budget for the next fiscal year.
“The council decided to do the retreat for the city budget on June 2, so that gives us a little more time to prepare (the park dedication), because we had some setbacks” in work at the park site, said Hector Tapia, Somerton’s economic development coordinator.
Tapia said the first phase of park development has lagged in part because the required removal utility poles at the site was delayed. He said city officials did not foresee that the poles would be gone by the June 2 date.
The celebration is now set for 7 p.m. on June 9 at the new park, said Tapia, who has been overseeing the project for the city.
Covering nearly an acre at the base of the city water tower on Somerton’s northeast side, the park features a brick-covered walkway lined on either side with decorative palm trees and benches for sitting. The walkway leads visitors to an outdoor amphitheater that will serve as the venue for performing arts displays.
In the second phase of work that the city hopes to have completed in July, splash fountains will be added at the park to give visitors a cool respite in the hot months. In
In a third phase, an adjacent building that now houses a boxing program will be remodeled as a museum dedicated to Somerton’s history.
As part of the development, the city has connected the park to downtown Somerton by extending a concrete walking path, or andador, from the park site to Main Street.
Tapia said the city also is looking at the possibility of installing decorative lights to give more prominence to the water tower, which supports a 50,000-gallon tank about 100 feet over the park. No longer in use, the tower is itself approaching a 100year milestone as both a local landmark.