PHOENIX — "Three...two...one!"
And with that countdown, a new chapter begins for an old Phoenix park.
On Saturday, ABC15 was there as the City of Phoenix debuted upgrades at Pierce Park, north of 44th Street and McDowell Road.
"Today marks a wonderful milestone for this community and for Pierce Park," says Marty Whitfield, Director of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.
According to the Mayor's office, the updates include six new pickleball courts, two new tennis courts, basketball court resurfacing, new benches, new picnic tables, and drinking fountains.
"I've often said that parks are one of the clearest reflections of a city's values," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. "And when we invest in parks, we invest in people and here in the City of Phoenix, we have made parks a priority."
For Ginnie Ann Sumner and the rest of the 44th Community Alliance, seeing the updates finally complete has been a celebration months in the making.
"We are no longer just one neighborhood street," explains Sumner. "We are not one business. We are not one school. We are a community that supports each other, and when we support each other, we have a much stronger community."
For families in the surrounding Balsz School District, it's a reminder that people across the community care.
"I think it shows that we care about this community and we want this community thriving," says Emily Fortunate, principal at Griffith Elementary School.
"And the more investment we see from the outside, then families are ignited to want to invest in their own community and it brings us together even closer."
"Everyone wants to play on fresh clean courts and it's exciting to see them in the city," says Jeff Sikes, with the United States Tennis Association Southwest.
For 7-year-old Shayn Johnson, it's a great way to improve her tennis game and come together as a community.
"I think it's a big opportunity," says Johnson.
To learn more about Pierce Park, click here.
