New Community Park Begins to Take Shape

Sisters, OR – August 6, 2025 – Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) is excited to share the latest update on the construction at Sisters Community Park, the district’s first “traditional” community park, located on the site of the former Sisters Elementary School, now home to the Sisters Community Recreation Center.

The new park will feature a variety of amenities, which were identified from our community outreach process with direct input from community members, including a paved, ADA-accessible walking path, a cover pavilion with restrooms, eight pickleball courts, upgraded multiuse/basketball courts, and improvements to existing green spaces. Additionally, a dedicated preschool playground was already completed and will be open to the public outside of SPRD preschool program hours.

Following a competitive bid process, Deschutes Construction (Redmond) was selected as the general contractor. The project team also includes Dougherty Landscape Architects (Eugene), local project manager Brett Hudson, and SPRD staff.

SPRD officially kicked off the project with a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, June 14, attended by representatives from the Sisters School District, City of Sisters, Sisters Pickleball Club, SOAR Foundation and members of the SPRD board, along with community members.

Since breaking grounds, crews have made steady progress. Early efforts focused on site prep, including grading, drainage, hazardous tree removal, any layout for future park elements. More recent milestones have included sewer trenching, foundation work for the pavilion and restrooms, paving the walking path and pickleball court surfaces, and cutting of a new ADA-accessible entrance.

The project remains on schedule and is expected to reach substantial completion by October 2025. SPRD will continue to provide updates throughout construction and looks forward to opening the park for the community’s enjoyment.

The $1.3 million project is being funded with minimal use of general fund dollars, instead drawing from a mix of funding sources including, a grant from the State of Oregon’s Local Government Grant Program, City of Sisters System Development Charges, a major donation from the Pine View Tennis Club and Sisters Pickleball Club, and additional contributions from the SOAR Foundation and private donors.

As one of the lowest-funded special park and recreation districts in the state, SPRD staff and the Board of Directors prioritized securing alternative funding sources for this project in order to minimize the use of taxpayer dollars. The district is especially grateful to the SOAR Foundation for their support in helping identify and secure additional funding through private donors.

Those interested in supporting the project are encouraged to contact the SOAR Foundation at soarfoundationsisters.org.

For more information or to stay up to date on the project, visit www.sistersrecreation.com, follow SPRD on social media, or call 541-549-2091.

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