First phase of Indio Sports Park set to open in November

The city broke ground on the Indio Sports Park in May of 2024, and on Tuesday staff was on hand to deliver an update to the Community Services Commission at its regular meeting: The first phase of the new sports complex is slated to open in November.

In its first phase, the 31-acre sports park located off Market Street — near the Avenue 44 and Jackson Street intersection — will feature 11 lighted soccer fields for various age groups, one professional football field, a baseball field, a softball field, and a perimeter walking path.

Other planned amenities include a walking path around the perimeter, shade structures with barbecues and picnic tables, drinking fountains, restrooms, a concession stand and 96 parking stalls.

The park, like other city recreational facilities, will be managed by the Desert Recreation District, which will handle reservations for fields and facilities. Its opening was pushed back after the shipment of crucial electric equipment was delayed.

Donn Uyeno with the city’s engineering division said the design and amenities of the park was driven by Indio residents.

“What we did was focus on what the community told us were their priorities, and clearly, overwhelmingly, it was for outdoor play areas, specifically soccer fields, lighted baseball fields,” Uyeno said.

The project is funded by an $8.5 million grant from the state’s Park, Environment and Water Bond Act of 2018, also known as Proposition 68, which the city matched.

The city is now preparing for Phase 2 of the project, estimated to cost $15 million, and is working on grant applications due in August and November.

Potential Phase 2 additions could include pickleball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, a community garden, skate park, sand volleyball courts, dog parks, and playground equipment.

The third phase of the project will focus on indoor sports. 

But, Uyeno said, the plans aren’t set in stone and they are still open to community feedback.

“It’s not just one meeting,” he said. “We get new residents, new ideas, new popularity in sports… I’m very supportive of those types of conversations.

“As with all our parks, we can add to it and we can make it better and improve it over time.

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