Las Vegas park in Southern Highlands set to open

The 17-acre park, just southeast of Stuckey Elementary School, features four lighted soccer fields, a basketball court with six hoops and shaded playground equipment. There also are more than 20 benches under shade structures, a walking path and nearly 100 parking spaces.

A grand opening was is planned for 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The park’s fields will likely see heavy use from youth soccer teams this fall. In prior years they have competed for practice space in Southern Highlands’ smaller parks or gone to the nearby community of Mountain’s Edge.

The project’s completion was bittersweet for some in Southern Highlands, a master-planned community of more than 7,000 homes near the southern edge of the Las Vegas Valley.

Before the recession, homeowners were presented designs for a much larger park with additional amenities, including a lighted baseball fourplex and two practice diamonds. Residents were told the park would be open in 2008.

The plan was not feasible for Olympia Cos. after the recession left land prices at less than one-third than their peak, said Chris Armstrong, vice president of planning.

Still, some residents feel slighted.

“It’s smaller than it was supposed to be. It’s not equipped the way it was supposed to be,” homeowner Patricia McCarley said. “A lot of us are not happy being shortchanged or being lied to.”

Others are excited to finally be able to use the park. Jennifer Miller said she has been watching the construction and thinks the facility will be well-received by joggers and people walking their dogs.

“I know my immediate group is more excited about having more lawn areas and paved paths,” she said.

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.