Tom Tenorio Park Reopens in Albuquerque After Years-Long, Multimillion-Dollar Overhaul

Bernalillo County has reopened Tom Tenorio Park, capping a renovation that stretched nearly six years and reshaped the South Valley ballfields into a facility with four softball fields, batting cages and new drainage ponds. For neighbors who watched the gates stay closed during construction, the reopening means the park is finally theirs to use again.

The project traces back at least to 2017, according to KRQE, though actual construction did not begin until the fall of 2021. KOB 4 reports that Bernalillo County reopened the park after a renovation it put at $14.3 million, as detailed in KOB 4's coverage of the reopening. That figure differs from an earlier KRQE report that put the investment at about $8 million at the time, with another $5 million expected for a later construction phase — the dossier does not clarify whether the two totals overlap or cover different stretches of work.

While closed, the park had mostly hosted softball tournaments in recent years rather than everyday neighborhood use, and neighbors had been asking when they could use the park regularly again. Nine-year-old neighborhood resident Deegan Lucero said the reopening will give families more room to use the park, and that he is looking forward to using it with friends.

The first phase of construction added a new softball field positioned away from nearby houses, along with three additional fields for soccer, football and lacrosse, the station's report notes. Completed work also included batting cages, drainage facilities and an eco-parking lot, with a new fence and improved lighting installed around the park as well.

The park now includes four softball fields total, along with expanded parking and RV parking for overnight tournaments. Storm water features were part of the renovation too: the park has three drainage ponds that help manage water from nearby neighborhoods and the arroyo, according to the seed reporting. Bernalillo County also planted more than 100 trees at the park as part of the work.

John Barney, planning manager for Bernalillo County's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Department, said the park's opening to the community is a big deal. Barney had earlier told the same outlet he hoped to have a subsequent construction phase completed by the following summer, and that the county expected the entire renovation to wrap up within a few years after one more phase of work.

County commissioners approved what's been called Phase 2B of the project, a roughly $5 million stage funded mostly through federal ARPA dollars, per the same account. That phase was set to add another eco-parking lot, the RV parking area, a renovated fourth field, and increased lighting and fencing. Bernalillo County is also hoping to secure an additional $750,000 for the park through a general obligation bond.

That bond request is tied to a broader $45 million general obligation bond package going before Bernalillo County voters next month, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The county is seeking roughly $20.4 million of that total for parks and recreational facilities, including ball fields and open spaces, with some of the money earmarked for Tom Tenorio Park alongside projects at East Mountain, Ed Sandoval North Valley, Rio Bravo Park and West Gun Club Park.

New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales said the upgrades could bring more tournaments and spending into Bernalillo County. Bernalillo County also plans to finish remaining improvements at the park, including picnic and gathering areas, and says the park will be open seven days a week from dusk to dawn.