CASPER, Wyoming – City officials announced plans to pursue major grant funding that could bring extensive upgrades to two of Casper’s most‑loved public spaces. Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director Zulima Lopez said the city will apply for up to $4.25 million through the federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant program to renovate Crossroads Park.
Crossroads Park improvements
Crossroads Park, one of the largest and most‑used parks in Casper, currently needs a series of upgrades. The proposed project would improve three softball fields, add spectator amenities and lighting to baseball field four, and renovate the Mike Lansing Baseball Stadium. The Adventure Playground would be updated, the bouldering park’s fall‑protection materials replaced, permanent restrooms installed, and the park’s Story Walk upgraded.
Environmental and access enhancements are also part of the plan, including restoring landscaping, protecting cottonwood and riparian zones, installing new interpretive signage, improving river access, and upgrading both soft‑ and hard‑surface trails along the North Platte River.
The grant, administered by the National Park Service through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, targets urban communities of 25,000 residents or more that lack adequate outdoor park access. The program requires a dollar‑for‑dollar local match, meaning the total project could reach $8.5 million. Lopez noted that $717,000 has already been earmarked in the FY 2027 budget to satisfy part of the match, and the city will seek additional in‑kind work, cash donations from user groups, and partnerships with organizations such as Casper Youth Baseball, the Casper Rotary Club, Visit Casper Destination Development, municipal one‑cent funds, the Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, and the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund.
Washington Park bandshell restoration
In a separate effort, city officials will apply for a $50,000 state grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund to restore features of the Washington Park bandshell that were cut from the original Phase III revival budget. The grant would fund additional lighting, repair water damage, enlarge the stage, and add permanent restrooms and pathways around the historic 1939 structure.
The bandshell, home to the Casper Municipal Band and a venue for events such as the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra’s Pops in the Park, has suffered extensive water intrusion and mold growth in its basement, rendering the space unsafe. Lopez said the moisture has ruined sheetrock and forced the band to store equipment off‑site at Highland Cemetery.
The broader Phase III revitalization remains on budget, backed by $3 million in existing capital – a $1.5 million Land and Water Conservation Fund grant secured in 2025 and $1.5 million in voter‑approved SPEC tax revenues passed in 2024.
The deadline to submit both grant applications is Oct. 1.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
