The 19.1 Acre expansion of Monterey Park northeast of Power and Guadalupe is underway and will include softball fields, pickleball courts, ramadas and shade structures, a tot lot, and an express library.
The expansion was originally a part of the Parks Bond passed by voters in 2014, but was delayed because the operational costs to manage a new park was not in the city’s budget. “In the past Park Bond election, I pushed to have the Monterey Park Expansion Project moved to the top of the list,” said District 6 Councilmember Kevin Thompson. “It went through several design iterations, and then a community meeting was held to introduce the project and get the community’s feedback.” The feedback was integrated into the new design.
The new design includes ample parking, four baseball fields with restrooms, and a small community library. The new library is a concept library for the City of Mesa, and it is the first time that the city will have a library in a park.
Including new technology to allow for self-service, the library will also allow people to check out books from the Main Library and pick them up at the Express Library. The site will also include room for on-site material, technology, offices, and 1,000 square feet of library space.