MORENCI — Changes are in the works for Morenci’s city parks.

Stephenson Park, located a few blocks south of downtown, is about to receive major upgrades thanks to a $863,500 grant the city was awarded last year. And the city council recently approved a five-year parks and recreational plan that spells out goals for all of the parks in the city.

In the community surveys that the city conducted while drafting the five-year plan, 82 percent of people said they were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with Wakefield Park, the 15-acre park on the west side of town that includes several athletic fields and is the site of Morenci’s annual Town & Country Festival. However, only 20 percent said they were satisfied with Stephenson Park.

Heather Sarnac, the city’s community and economic development director, said that of Morenci’s parks, Wakefield Park is the one that usually gets all the attention.

“When kids talk about going to the park, it’s Wakefield Park,” she said.

But with the upcoming work, Sarnac hopes that will change soon.

The plans include:

• New, more universally accessible playground equipment.
• A paved, quarter-mile walking and jogging path around the perimeter of the park.
• Two picnic pavilions.
• A full-sized basketball court in place of the smaller court that’s there now.
• A new pickleball court.
• Accessible entrances that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Improved lighting throughout the park.

“Everything is going to be refreshed, but very similarly themed to what was there before,” Sarnac said. She added that even though there will be lots of new offerings, there will still be plenty of green space in the middle of the park for open play.

As part of the planning process, city officials visited fourth and fifth graders at Morenci Elementary School, who wrote about what they’d like to see at the park and why.

Superintendent Jennifer Ellis said this outreach from the city gave kids an experience with civic engagement and showed them that they can have a voice in their community.

“I think it was a really nice collaboration,” Ellis said.

The city also consulted with Disability Connections to ensure the inclusivity of the design.

The landscape architect for the project is Lisa DuRussel.

The city put the project out for bids in mid-February, and Sarnac said the hope is to start construction in May or June.

Although Stephenson Park will see the most changes, the city is also planning to resurface the Wakefield Park tennis courts. That project, which Sarnac said many residents identified as a priority in community surveys, will be funded by the city.

Morenci has also applied for a $514,000 grant to install a splash pad at Wakefield Park. Sarnac said she expects to hear in March if the application was successful.

One longer-term item, Sarnac said, is that many residents would like to see a path connecting Wakefield Park to the Riverside Natural Area, a largely undeveloped 11-acre area to the north. However, this would require a bridge across Bean Creek, so it’s a larger undertaking.