UPDATE: Work continues to complete Sportspark

For years, El Paso County has not been able to use its Sportspark in far east El Paso to its full potential.

It is located off of Zaragoza and Saul Kleinfield.

Late last year, County Commissioners terminated the contract with the company hired to renovate the park and is now trying to resolve a dispute in court.

Monday, commissioners unanimously approved to begin negotiations with El Paso company Carl Daniel Architects.

The firm is no stranger to building baseball and softball parks in the area.

The next step for the county and the architecture firm is to find a construction company to complete what was never finished.

Carl Daniel Architects will begin working with the county as soon as this week to assess the park’s issues, write up a construction bid and present it to commissioners court.

The county’s purchasing department told ABC-7 it will take a few weeks.

ABC-7 learned the firm’s project manager, Steve Franco is familiar with the county Sportspark.

He was the project manager when it was first built nearly 30 years ago.

“We are the original architects for the park that was constructed back in 1986, so we have an in-depth knowledge of what’s out there right now,” said Franco.

Carl Daniel Architects was behind the Sunland Park Sports Complex, which is similar to the Sportspark, and the El Paso Community College Field of Dreams.

“We have done some several major parks in the local area so we do have a good understanding of park design . We’ll be able to do a good job,” said Franco.

County Judge Veronica Escobar maintains the county will not issue new debt to complete the park and taxpayers will not pay a penny more.

Construction to complete the park could begin in mid to late March.

No date of completion has been set.