The town of Dillon is set to begin work on some long-awaited improvements at the Town Park this month.

In April, Dillon entered a contract with Columbine Hills Construction to complete work on the next phase of improvements at the park, referred to by the town as Phase 1A, which will largely include utilities and earthwork. Crews are expected to kick the project off on June 14, and much of the south side of the park will be closed for the summer.

“It is a relief to get started,” Dillon Public Works director Scott O’Brien said. “I’m grateful to see us moving forward on this. We began the master planning process for the Town Park as far back as 2013 … so we’ve been working really hard in our capital improvement plan to earmark the necessary funds in order to be able to do this project.”

Dillon began work on the park in 2019, including drainage improvements, relocating the southern tennis court, and expanding parking on LaBonte and Buffalo streets.

Next week, crews will begin excavating areas of the field on the southern side of the park to flatten and expand the area to create a more functional playing surface.

“Before it was kind of a small field, and there were only certain sports activities that you could use it for,” O’Brien said. “But we’re going to be expanding it such that you can play soccer, you’ll still be able to play baseball, you’ll be able to play football and things like that. So it’s going to be a much larger multiuse-event field.”

Crews will also be demolishing the old playground area and doing some grading for a new playground facility planned for installation next spring. The phase also includes moving the restrooms closer to Town Hall, the installation of an expanded storm drain system into the park, and utility work to facilitate a future pavilion.

The town is also nearing completion of a detached parking area on the north side of the park as part of the Tenderfoot Street reconstruction project. A new sidewalk is in the works on Tenderfoot and LaBonte streets, which when completed will form a walking path around the entirety of the park.

Phase 1A should wrap up around the end of July, O’Brien said. The town will then jump into Phase 1B, which includes landscaping, hardscaping, pathway improvements, the installation of surfacing material at the playground area, reconnecting the restrooms and more.

As a result of the work, much of the south section of the park will be closed for the summer. Amenities in the north of the park will remain open, including the basketball court, community garden and bocce ball facilities. O’Brien said the town would also move some tables to the north part of the park for community members to have picnics.

“To make these types of improvements we don’t have a choice but to close the area while we’re under construction,” O’Brien said. “We certainly apologize for the inconvenience that it causes, but in the end we’re going to have a wonderful, fully-activated park for everyone to enjoy.”

The town is budgeted to spend about $1.25 million on park improvements this year, and O’Brien said the town has earmarked several hundred thousand dollars next year to install new playground equipment, design an events space at the corner of Buffalo and LaBonte streets, and install electrical improvements that will eventually facilitate a lighted pathway through the park along with other uses.