EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 El Paso County commissioners are set to get an update Thursday morning on several voter-approved bond projects, including a major slate of upgrades planned for Ascarate Park.<\/p>\n
The Ascarate Park project remains in the design phase, but after months of community input, the county is narrowing its scope. <\/p>\n
The bond project includes more than $31 million in renovations, with plans for parking improvements, walking trails, lighting and a new outdoor festival stage.<\/p>\n
The county is also beginning the process of finding a construction manager at risk, a company hired to help with construction and final design. <\/p>\n
According to agenda documents, the county hopes to begin putting out proposals starting this summer, with the goal of awarding the contract by January 2027.<\/p>\n
FULL PRESENTATION:<\/p>\n
RELATED: County awards design contract for Ascarate Park upgrades<\/a><\/p>\n County outreach on the project drew more than 1,400 votes on design options, along with hundreds of people attending three community meetings. <\/p>\n Through that input, residents identified the lake as a priority. <\/p>\n Lake plans focus on water quality, fishing access and shoreline improvements.<\/p>\n Upgrades to the lake are not part of the bond project, but they do have funding from previous tax notes totaling about $13.5 million.<\/p>\n The discussion also included the duck pond. <\/p>\n The presentation says some community groups support future amenities in that area, while fishing groups would prefer to keep the duck pond as an option. <\/p>\n The presentation says repair costs for the pond are unknown, while removal could lower maintenance costs and refocus improvements on the main lake.<\/p>\n The county\u2019s dashboard tracking bond project progress lists the Ascarate Park project as slated for completion by fall 2029.<\/p>\n You can find that dashboard here.<\/a><\/p>\n RELATED: El Paso County bond projects advance as commissioners get update, seek community input<\/a><\/p>\n