Press Release Courtesy of City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department
ALBUQUERQUE— The City of Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation Department is poised to help The University of New Mexico shine the light – quite literally – on new sports facilities. Several years ago The Parks and Recreation Department developed and built a park in the far Northwest corner of Albuquerque – Ventana Ranch Community Park - complete with recreational space and competition lighting. After some area residents expressed concerns with the lights, Parks and Recreation and the Mayor himself held public meetings in order to facilitate a compromise. An agreement was reached between all interested parties; the original lights installed should be removed and replaced with fewer, less intrusive recreational lighting.
But what is to become of those competition lights removed from the park? Athletes and users of UNM’s tennis center will be happy to know that their facility will soon be the new home for the unused lights. “We are pleased that these lights – while not right for the folks near Ventana Ranch Park – will go to a good home where they are needed and will be used,” said Barbara Baca, Director of Parks and Recreation. “When it was agreed that the lights weren’t right for that park, we immediately got busy to find a venue that could utilize this equipment.” UNM and The Parks and Recreation Department will invest in new lighted tennis courts and work together to bring large tournaments to Albuquerque.
“We are thrilled, and I think users of those facilities will be too,” said Paul Krebs, UNM Athletic Director. “We are committed to bringing large regional tennis tournaments to Albuquerque which will have real economic benefits for the community.” According to the agreement, UNM will pay to remove the lights from Ventana Ranch Park and to have them installed at their facility. “We want Albuquerque to become a sports destination,” added Mayor Richard J. Berry. “This collaboration highlights the steps we are taking to do just that.”
The lights are being removed from Ventana Ranch Park this spring and will be installed at UNM this summer.
For more information, contact Paul Hyso, 505-768-5303 or
physo@cabq.gov.