Scottsdale invites residents to help shape Eldorado Park’s next chapter

Nearly 60 years after Eldorado Park opened as Scottsdale’s first community park, residents have a chance to help shape what comes next.

The city is beginning to plan recreational improvements and will host a public meeting from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Eldorado Community Center, 2311 N. Miller Road. Residents and park users can meet the project team, learn what improvements are being considered and share their priorities.

Scottsdale has budgeted $780,000 in fiscal year 2026/27 for the first phase of design, funded by the voter-approved Parks & Preserve Sales Tax, Proposition 490.

“Eldorado Park has been part of Scottsdale’s story for generations,” said City Manager Greg Caton. “This investment gives us the opportunity to look at the park not simply as a collection of facilities that need to be replaced, but as a community gathering place that deserves a thoughtful vision for its next 60 years.”

The project will consider upgrades to playgrounds and shade, the Wedge Skate Park, restrooms, ramadas, picnic areas, landscaping and other aging amenities. A new pump track is also under consideration. No improvements have been finalized; community feedback will help the city set priorities and refine design options.

Residents can also participate online through a park feedback form, a separate form for Wedge Skate Park users and an interactive map where they can identify places they enjoy or would like to see improved. All three are available on the Eldorado Park Improvements project page on Speak Up Scottsdale, the city’s online community engagement portal.

“Residents helped establish the big-picture priorities through the master plan. Now, we’re asking them to help us get into the details,” said Nick Molinari, senior director of Scottsdale parks, recreation, human services and preserve. “We want to understand how people use Eldorado Park today, what’s working well and where targeted improvements could make the greatest difference.”

Building on earlier investments

Eldorado Park opened in 1967 in the heart of the Indian Bend Wash. The new design effort builds on the 2019 Indian Bend Wash Master Plan, which used community input to identify long-term priorities for Eldorado and Vista del Camino parks.

It also follows infrastructure work that began at Eldorado Park in 2023 through the Bond 2019-funded Indian Bend Wash Lakes & Irrigation Repairs project. That work includes lake and channel improvements, a new pump station, irrigation upgrades and landscape restoration.

Eldorado Park is both a recreation destination and part of the Indian Bend Wash’s flood-control system. Designs must account for drainage, potential flooding and other site constraints while preserving that function. Future improvements will also require additional review and permitting, including federal permitting associated with the Wash.

The city expects to gather data and community feedback this fall, develop concept alternatives in winter 2026 and complete a final concept plan and implementation strategies by summer 2027. Improvements will be planned and built in phases. Construction timing will depend on the final plan, future funding, approvals and permitting.

Residents can review planning documents, provide feedback and subscribe to updates at SpeakUpScottsdale.com.