STERLING HEIGHTS (WXYZ) — A vacant field in the southeast quadrant of Sterling Heights is getting a $4.7 million makeover to become Red Run Park.
The new park will feature a dog park, basketball courts, six lighted pickleball courts, a non-motorized path and heated restrooms.
The development is part of the city's Pathway to Play and Preservation project. An official groundbreaking is set for May 5, with construction expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Sterling Heights Parks and Recreations Director Kyle Langlois said the area currently lacks a true neighborhood park.
"Approved by our residents in November of 2024, one of the initiatives we put together was bringing a park to the southeast quadrant of the city," Langlois said.
The park's heated restrooms and lighted courts are designed to extend playtime and give neighbors a year-round place to play.
"This is an opportunity to make an amenity available year round, which is something when parks were built 40, 50 years ago, that wasn't a priority. Come November, everything shut down. Now, we see people using parks and recs services 365 days a year, so having a heated restroom is going to be a pride point," Langlois said.
The field is currently muddy after rain the night before, but in just a few months, the space will be transformed.
Colleen Biafore, a nurse practitioner who works nearby, often walks along Red Run Street for her lunch break. She spoke with Langlois on Wednesday about the upcoming changes.
"Well it's my lunch hour and I, being in mental health, listening to all the stories I listen to, I need a break, so I go for a nice long walk," Biafore said.
Biafore said she is looking forward to having a new, alternate route for her strolls.
"I think it's wonderful. There's a lot of people in the area that need a safe place to walk," Biafore said. "We’ll have to wait and see what it looks like, but it sounds good."
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