• Geer Community Park gets a new skatepark, dog parks, enhanced fields, improved pedestrian access and added picnic shelters
• Four neighborhood parks get new and resurfaced courts and playgrounds
• Work at more parks is planned for 2026

 Salem, Ore. – Salem residents will soon be able to get outside and enjoy the benefits of new and improved features at some of Salem’s parks.

“We encourage everyone to enjoy all of these refreshed spaces across the park system and to get excited about the new facilities at Geer Park, which will be coming online soon,” said Rob Romanek, program manager and park planner.

Geer Community Park

Geer Community Park is receiving the most dramatic makeover. These improvements are a big step toward completing the Geer Park Master Plan. Features include:

• A state-of-the-art skatepark and related pathway improvements
• A fenced dog park with separate areas for energetic and quieter dogs, with an accessible, paved entry and two small shelters with benches
• Reconstructed soccer fields with regrading, new irrigation and new drainage
• Upgrades to two baseball fields, adding artificial turf to the infields that will allow for both baseball and softball play and longer seasonal use
• Reservable picnic shelters near the dog park and skatepark

 New sidewalk along Park Avenue NE and an improved pedestrian crossing will allow people to safely walk from northeast Salem through the Oregon State Hospital Campus. When connected to the new path being developed with the skatepark, it will provide a dedicated walking route from northeast neighborhoods through Geer Park.

Skatepark Opening Soon

The skatepark is nearly complete. A soft opening is planned for some time between mid-November and Thanksgiving, depending on weather. Evergreen Skateparks, which designed and built the skatepark, will return with a small crew on November 17 to install additional skate features in the plaza space adjacent to the skatepark. They will be working until the day before Thanksgiving.

The parking lot at Geer Park will remain closed for a while after the skatepark opens, while work continues on features closer to the parking lot. In the meantime, street parking is available on Park Avenue. A new path will allow access to the skatepark.

“We ask your patience as we complete the finishing touches,” said Romanek. “We know our skating community is eager to get rolling.”

Fields and Dog Park

Meanwhile, at the other end of Geer Park, work is continuing on the soccer fields, dog park and an additional picnic shelter. 

Fields at McKay Park, River Road Park, and Wallace Marine Park are filling the community soccer need for the time being.

The artificial turf on the baseball fields has been installed. New natural grass is planned for the outfields. Salem staff also made irrigation system retrofits on the two ball fields. They replaced and modified the inner band of irrigation lines and heads that run between the new artificial turf and the natural grass outfields.

City staff were able to cut the cost of the irrigation work in half. Originally, the turf installation contractor was scheduled to do the work at a cost of more than $20,000. By doing the work in-house, staff saved the City more than $10,000.

The fields and dog park won’t be open for use until around mid-spring. The grass needs time to get established and parts of the project may not be complete until then.

Funding

The voter-approved 2022 Safety and Livability Bond is paying for the soccer fields, dog park and its nearby picnic shelter. The Park System Development Charge Fund is paying for the sidewalk extension and crossing, and most of the skatepark, related trails and picnic shelter. A $500,000 grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will complete the skatepark.

The artificial turf on the baseball fields is funded by a combination of bond funds and system development charges.

None of these projects involve money from the City’s General Fund.

Over the past several months, community volunteers and neighbors of Geer Park have dedicated many hours to maintaining and improving the existing bike park area, including revitalizing the unpaved bike skill trail. These efforts have enhanced visibility and created smoother riding surfaces, improving safety and accessibility for riders of all ages and skill levels. Additional features, such as trail markers and maps, are currently in the works.

Neighborhood Parks

Four neighborhood parks are also receiving improvements thanks to funding from the 2022 Safety and Livability Bond.

New facilities are now ready for use, with the exception of those at Hoover Park. Work at Hoover Park is approximately a week away from completion. The changes will be worth the wait.

Damaged and unusable tennis courts are being replaced with new basketball hoops and a compact, paved soccer/futsal mini pitch. Hoops at both ends of the mini pitch will also support basketball. This is the only facility of its kind in the Salem-Keizer area.

The system was provided by Musco, a company known for sports field lighting. It was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, which awarded the City a $10,000 grant to help make the system more affordable.

The work at all off these parks focuses on caring for existing facilities, improving reliability and reducing long-term maintenance challenges.

Work at the other parks includes:

• Highland Park: Resurfacing, fencing and lighting of tennis and pickleball courts. One tennis court has become two dedicated pickleball courts with permanent nets.
• Livingston Park: New playground equipment and improvements to the playground area.
• Morningside Park: New playground equipment and access improvements. The multi-use court has also been fully rebuilt.

The Parks Planning, Engineering and Parks Operations staff members have bene working hard to deliver these improvements.

“The combined efforts at Geer, Hoover, Highland, Livingston ad Morningside Parks really demonstrate our commitment to both investing in new community amenities in a measured way (as funding is available) and taking care of what we already have,” said Romanek.

More park upgrades are planned in 2026:

McKay Park soccer fields will be rebuilt after Geer Park’s fields are open again. New permanent restrooms and a picnic shelter will also be added.

Riverfront Park’s playground will e replaced and expanded. In addition, park-wide updates to the electrical system are planned to support events and improve reliability for years to come. Construction at Riverfront Park should begin in January or February.

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