plans advancing for long-anticipated las cruces recreation complex

A modern recreational facility with surrounding grounds geared for residents of Las Cruces’ East Mesa neighborhood is set to also include a ten-acre park, eight pickle ball courts, and a variety of multi-use athletic fields.

The project will also include trails, playgrounds, and a concessions area.

Details of what will be the East Mesa Public Recreational Complex come after months of planning and public input meetings looking at what such a facility should provide and how it should look.

A question regarding the project, which will be paid for out of a $16.9 million general obligation bond passed by Las Cruces voters in 2018, is its final cost, which some city officials have estimated as just under $8 million.

It is also not yet known exactly where the new complex will be built, although a number of sites owned by the city are said to be under consideration.

Although it has earlier been reported that construction on the new complex could begin by early 2021, city officials have indicated that they need more funding for acquiring rights of way and the building of utilities infrastructure.

To that end, the city is hoping the current session of the New Mexico State Legislature will approve around $3.5 million to pay for those parts of the larger project.
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Calls for the construction of a new recreational complex on the east side of Las Cruces reflect the need to serve a population growth that has not only more than doubled in the last decade, but is also overwhelmingly under the age of 30. 

​By Garry Boulard

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