$2.9M Federal Grant Transforms Jacobs Park as Palo Verde Park Prepares for Closure

Plans for a significant upgrade to Jacobs Park on Tucson’s North Side were unveiled this week. The upgraded park will include a skate park, a softball complex, a soccer field, an indoor soccer court, and a pickleball court. Palo Verde Park in Midtown will also undergo construction starting this month, with a targeted completion date by next summer.

The U.S. Interior Department announced Wednesday that Tucson will receive $2.9 million through a federal grant for the Jacobs Park improvements. This funding is part of a $47 million federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which supports 10 parks nationwide.

Efforts for Jacobs Park, located on North Fairview Avenue just south of Prince Road, will encompass the construction and rehabilitation of various structures and facilities. These include a skate park, a softball complex, two tournament-standard soccer fields, a pickleball court, and a futsal (indoor soccer) court. Additional enhancements will feature a new playground, picnic and grill areas, a concessions building, new restrooms, and an expanded dog park. The plan also includes eliminating a parking lot, planting 310 new trees, and incorporating redesigned stormwater infrastructure.

Across town, city officials also revealed upcoming improvements for Palo Verde Park. Located on South Mann Avenue near East Broadway and South Kolb Road, the park will close later this month for construction. The existing dog park will remain open during this period, while other areas undergo renovation which is expected to be complete by next summer.

Enhancements at Palo Verde Park include new and upgraded LED lighting on existing fields, converting the tennis court into a basketball court, and replacing the existing basketball court with three new pickleball courts. Additionally, the project entails renovating the irrigation system, planting more trees, and reducing turf.

These projects are part of a larger effort to modernize local parks, with the Palo Verde improvements funded by over $2.5 million from Prop. 407 bond funds, impact fees, and contributions from Ward 2. Recent renovations at Palo Verde already covered pool plaster, tile, and dive pools.

The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program seeks to create or redesign local parks, with nearly $127 million allocated in the past year. Tucson is one of 10 cities to benefit from this wave of funding, alongside others such as Porterville, Calif.; Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Mo.; New Brunswick, N.J.; Garner and Raleigh, N.C.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Houston, Texas.

Initially launched in 2014 and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the program’s mission is to enhance equitable access to outdoor spaces in economically underserved communities. It aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, aimed at conserving and restoring the country’s wildlife and parks.

“Through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, the Interior Department is investing millions of dollars in locally-led projects that are creating new city parks and rehabilitating existing outdoor spaces, all guided by the needs and visions of local communities,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.