Van Lierop Park Grand Opening On Tuesday

PUYALLUP, WA — With Phase One construction complete for the city's newest community park, Puyallup's Parks and Recreation Department will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the occasion on Tuesday.

Van Lierop Park, named to honor the legacy of the Van Lierop family, which farmed the 24-acre property for numerous generations before selling the land to the city in 2015, will celebrate its grand opening June 25 at 4 p.m.

Located on the corner of 134th Avenue and 80th Street east, just off East Pioneer, Van Lierop Park will eventually become 18 acres of open space providing several various recreational amenities for Puyallup and Pierce County residents.

The city of Puyallup shares the property with Step By Step, a local nonprofit that purchased six acres from the city in order to establish a facility for its programs assisting at-risk mothers.

The Step By Step facility is expected to include a restaurant for on-the-job training, an event center, and classrooms for nutritional education as well as résumé help. A grand opening is currently scheduled for Oct. 16, according to Step By Step.

As for the city's side of things, Phase One consisted primarily of the park's walking trail and daffodil-lined view corridor, which showcases a gorgeous, direct view of snow-capped Mount Rainier.

For Phase Two, the city plans to add a plethora of additional features, including open meadows, trail loops, tennis and basketball courts, a lighted turf ball field, an orchard with various fruit trees, a skate park, and a farm-themed play area — as well as two spacious parking areas.

At this time, however, the city does not have a timeline for Phase Two's completion, according to Parks and Rec Director Sarah Harris.

With no funding source currently confirmed for the $10-$12 million improvement project, Harris said the city is still exploring options for how to pay for the dream park.

For now, Harris said she's just excited to see the park open.

"It's going to be a great resource for the city," she said.