Excitement is building for the opening of the first phase of Castle Rock’s 237-acre Philip S. Miller Park — the yet-to-be-named fieldhouse.
District 3 Councilmember Jennifer Green, a liaison to the parks and recreation commission, said council sees the fieldhouse, and park in general, as an economic development tool, as well as a way to provide amenities for residents.
“So having others visit our park from outside the community is to have them visit the rest of Castle Rock and visit some of the restaurants in town,” Green said. “It also showcases what Castle Rock has to offer.”
The fieldhouse is slated to open in late October or early November. It is 60,000 square feet and will include an indoor pool, indoor soccer field, outdoor synthetic field, 10,000-square-foot trampoline room and indoor adventure playground.
The fieldhouse will contain a leisure pool, as well as lap lanes.
Because some of the administration for Castle Rock Recreation is moving to the fieldhouse, those former offices will be turned into a Pilates and yoga studio. The recreation center is also constructing an additional aerobics room in its garage to meet that demand.
While the construction of the $21 million fieldhouse is on schedule, it cost a bit more than expected, because of the economy, so the park’s other phases will take a bit longer, Green said.
“So it might take us a bit longer to finish the park but we will be able to stay within budget,” Green said.
Aside from the higher construction costs, Jeff Smullen, park planning and construction manager, said the biggest challenge of the project was laying down the infrastructure, not just for the fieldhouse, but for the entire park.
“Honestly, it’s the scale — it’s just a really large project,” Smullen said. “We had to run a mile of water and sewer (lines).”
Despite the issues, the town has about $500,000 left in contingency it can use toward adding some additional amenities like picnic tables, pavilions and gazebos, or save it for a future phase. Castle Rock Town Council has delayed that vote and will be discussing a direction at its Aug. 26 meeting.
“What council is looking at is how that park is going to be used before committing additional resources,” Green said. “So holding onto that money a little longer until springtime might be a better idea since we’re not going to see a significant amount of use until that time.”
But the fieldhouse will still be used plenty, according to Eileen Matheson, recreation manager for the town. She said programs and use at the Castle Rock Recreation Center are at capacity, so the fieldhouse is welcome, especially since it will contain new amenities the town has never had before.
Matheson said since the pool at the fieldhouse is warmer, the recreation department will use it more for swimming lessons. She also said since there’s no aerobic equipment at the fieldhouse, more fitness boot camps will be held on the indoor soccer field.
“We are outgrowing the rec center but we’re not duplicating, and we can always use aquatic space,” which is in high demand, Matheson said. “There’s always a need for more recreational amenities whether new or what we already offer. With the community growing as fast as it is, it makes sense for us to offer these things for them.”
Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2953, cwoullard@denverpost.com or twitter.com/yhclayton
What’s in a name?
What: Castle Rock is holding a contest to name the fieldhouse
When: Contest runs fJuly 24-Aug. 1
Where: kiosks around town and www.crgov.com/whatsinaname.
How: A panel will pick the top five names to present to council. Council will decide at its Aug. 26 meeting.
http://www.denverpost.com/dougco/ci_26196149/fieldhouse-at-philip-s-miller-park-castle-rock
