130-acre park a pleasant surprise for neighbors

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

A 130-acre, $30 million park is being molded out of the dirt along the Summerlin Parkway near Buffalo Drive. And although the park won't open for more than a year, many neighbors are excited they will eventually have a new place to picnic and play.

When Laura Johnson, 42, moved to a cul-de-sac across Washington Avenue from the future park nine years ago, she worried the land could have been developed for industrial uses.

"I never thought it would be a park. It's a very pleasant surprise," Johnson said.

Steven Balzer, 41, another neighbor, said, "It'll be nice to just walk across the street to a park."

His son, 6-year-old Chris, said he just hopes the new park will have monkey bars.

Las Vegas spokeswoman Debby Ackerman said that while the park won't have monkey bars specifically, it will have lots of play equipment to climb on, hang from and slide down.

The park is also planned to have 11 lighted soccer fields, tennis courts, a dog run and picnic areas, she said.

The park is expected to open in April, May or June next year, she said.

The park is now being called the Washington Buffalo Park, but Ackerman said that could change.