New park, community center set to open at old Mesa school site

PHOENIX – A location that was once used as a place to learn and grow will serve that purpose once again as the Eagles Park and Eagles Community Center are set to open at the old Mesa Junior High School site at 828 E. Broadway Road, according to a press release.

The ribbon-cutting will be held on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“The City of Mesa is committed to providing our residents with fun and unique park concepts that ignite the imagination and encourage play,” Mesa Mayor John Giles said in the release. “Eagles Park and Community Center now offer one-of-a-kind activities and programs for all ages. It’s great to see these former Mesa Public Schools assets develop into a community point of pride.”

Amenities at the 28-acre park include a youth ninja course, preschool activity trail, walking loop, multi-use fields, playground, exercise stations, picnic ramada and barbecue grills.

The Eagles Community Center, meanwhile, includes the original Mesa Junior High School gymnasium, functional fitness rooms and classrooms that will focus on youth sports, after school programs and summer programs.

After the last student walked out of the school in 2012, the plan to convert the space was set in motion.

The project received funding from Mesa residents who passed a parks bond that same year.

A neighborhood stabilization grant and community development block grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in addition to local streets sales tax for stormwater infrastructure improvements also aided in funding.

The preschool activity trail was made possible by the Foundation for Mesa Parks and Recreation and Mesa United Way, while the playground was funded, in part, by a grant from the Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority.

The grand opening celebration will include live music, inflatables, preschool programs, tours and food trucks.

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