El Paso is cranking up the volume at The Beast Urban Park. City leaders, crews and neighbors gathered Wednesday on the Eastside to officially kick off construction on a $15 million Phase II expansion that city officials say is built for youth leagues, regional tournaments and family hangouts.
The new phase will add roughly 650,000 square feet of athletic space and visitor amenities to the complex that opened in 2021, positioning The Beast as an even bigger draw for organized sports and weekend recreation on the Eastside.
Phase II Brings New Fields, Courts And Creature Comforts
Phase II is designed to bulk up the park’s sports options in a big way. Plans call for about 650,000 square feet of new facilities, including four diamond fields with dugout shelters, 10 pickleball courts, two handball courts and two sand-volleyball courts.
The project also adds two basketball courts, bleachers, bike racks, expanded parking with room for food trucks, landscaping, irrigation, shade canopies, fencing and new restrooms, according to KFOX14.
City Leaders Pitch It As A Win For Local Youth
District 5 Representative Ivan Niño framed the expansion as a direct investment in Eastside families and kids.
"Phase II... is an investment in our youth," Niño said at the ceremony, according to KFOX14. City Capital Improvement and Parks and Recreation staff will manage the buildout as El Paso moves into the next stage of the long-planned complex.
Phase I Turned 92 Acres Into A Regional Draw
The Beast is part of a multi-phase plan to transform roughly 92 acres on the Eastside into a full-scale public recreation complex.
Phase I, which opened in 2021, delivered a recreation facility anchored by a natatorium featuring an indoor 50-meter competition pool and diving well, along with a warm-up pool, gymnasium, fitness areas and a community room, according to the City of El Paso.
That first phase also added an outdoor water park with a surfing machine and helped position the site as a regional hub for competitions and family recreation, as covered in earlier El Paso Unveils The Beast reporting, as per Hoodline.
Sports Groups See More Tournaments On The Horizon
Local pickleball players and youth-sports organizers are already eyeing the new courts and fields as prime territory for tournaments and expanded league play.
Pickleball El Paso noted that a Phase II pre-construction open house in early February gave residents a chance to walk through the plans with District 5 staff and project managers. Officials set the March 18 groundbreaking at that meeting, with construction slated to wrap in spring 2027, according to Pickleball El Paso.
Players and community leaders told organizers the extra courts and diamonds should open up more organized hours and drop-in play across the Eastside once the work is done.
Work is expected to roll out in phases over the next year, with crews installing the new courts and finishing site amenities ahead of the projected 2027 opening window. City leaders say the expansion is meant to deepen year-round access to recreation on the Eastside and create fresh opportunities for youth programs and events. A public schedule for tournaments tied to the new facilities has not been released; officials say the City will share more as construction moves forward.
