Park History

The area surrounding the park has an agricultural history and pre-history. Traces of old drainageways and possible remnant oxbows of the McKenzie River can be seen traversing the site from southeast to northwest. Some of this site topography is evident in the larger site context of this area however it is not evident in the scale and size of the 8.23 acre park.

The park known as Striker Field was acquired by the city in 1983 as a combination of both purchased and donated lands from Edwin and June Cone. Later, the 8.23 acres site was identified in the 2006 PROS Priority Plan as a public park project that should be implemented in the next 15 years. At that time, it was initially considered for development as a lighted sports field complex in partnership with 4J School District. That led to the suggested naming of the park as Striker Field, in reference to its proposed sports field use.

However, as the neighborhood developed and became more densely populated in recent years, the need of a park that provides a wider range of amenities than sports fields was recognized. The 2018 Parks and Recreation System Plan gathered data and assessed community needs which resulted in a recommendation to prioritize this park for development as a community park and consider renaming it.

Thanks to voters, the 2018 Bond and Levy passed and funding became available to design, build, and maintain the park. A robust community design process began for Striker Field in early 2019 and resulted in an exciting and well-supported plan that is scheduled for construction in 2021 based on this design concept.