By Jackson Petrauskas –
The View –
What’s missing in Castle Rock, the town’s resident youth agree, is alluring amusement.
That’s why students, like freshman Luke Breed, are excited about the new Philip S. Miller Park, which broke ground in late 2013, and will offer a multitude of entertaining activities.
“My friends and I will no longer have to debate about what to do and we won’t have to bug our parents for rides to places,” he said. “The rec center has a trampoline park, which I have been to, and it is fun to mess around with my friends there.”
Although teens have long taken advantage of the local hiking and biking, there has not been a fixture of entertainment quite like the new $30 million park, which is about 2 ½ miles east from Castle View right off Plum Creek Parkway.
With significant public and private investments, the park will be completed in stages over the next decade. Upon completion, the park will occupy more than 230 acres, including a $21 million fieldhouse, indoor leisure pool and lap pool, outdoor lighted athletic field, outdoor amphitheater, pond, indoor event space, adventure playground and trails.
The field house, pools and indoor facilities, some outdoor trails and the 200-step staircase that leads to a view at the top of a hill were completed in October.
The park has been a top priority for the town for more than a decade, but lack of road access set back construction for many years.
Council member Jennifer Green believes the town will grow with the addition because the existing rec center at the far east end of town is already at capacity for the amount of activities provided.
“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.”
Green also talked about the cost of the project, which was hampered some by the depressed economy of recent years.
“It might take us a bit longer to finish the park but we will be able to stay within budget,” she said. The park “will be a well-rounded attribute to the town of Castle Rock.”
