Wingfield pavilion scheduled to wrap up construction July 30
Pavilion is designed to accommodate concerts and large events at one end
- The pavilion at Wingfield was tailored to village's needs
Construction on the new pavilion at Wingfield Park, Ruidoso's main staging area for large outdoor events, is scheduled to be wrapped up July 30, leaving the village parks department to handle the landscaping.
Being able to offer a large area under roof at the park was pushed by village councilors and the mayor to increase the use of the park situated one block off of midtown, historically the main tourist shopping area.
"The building is 50 feet by 90 feet and was tailored to fit the village's need," Parks and Recreation Director Rodney Griego said Wednesday."The company is Exerplay out of Las Cruces. They are a playground company, but they sell everything to do with playgrounds and shelters. We picked the building out of a brochure, but tailored it to meet our needs. If you saw the one in book, the one built is really different, much larger. It was a custom build for our needs."
Money for the project came primarily from lodgers tax revenue, but also from state legislative appropriations and a small Public Service Company of New Mexico grant, Griego said.
"After the fact, we will have a Hubbard Foundation grant to do some lighting and landscaping," he said. "They're supposed to be done July 30 with the building part. I'll have to do the lanscaping."
Two years ago the mayor established a task force to find out what the community wanted at the large Wingfield Park that includes 8 acres of open space, and members came up with the dimensions, Griego said.
"They they wanted it to be able to handle all different types of events from concerts to arts and crafts shows, wedding, reunions, birthdays, just anything," he said. They also envisioned accommodating sporting events under roof such as pickle ball and even basketball, he said.
"It's a pretty large open area," Griego said. "They also helped secure grants by having the community involved."
The finished product won't look a great deal different that what people see now, he said. "They're putting on wood tongue and groove and metal over that," he said. "The last will be the landscaping."
One end of the pavilion is a little larger than the other, Griego said.
"They thought that would be where the band or a wedding party would set up, he said.