Phillips Park could partially reopen by the end of September after a $5 million renovation that closed the Coral Gables park in November 2025.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meets Thursday, Sept. 10, at 8:15 a.m. in the Youth Center Conference Room to review capital project updates. Residents can also join via Zoom. The board's meeting agenda lists a soft opening of Phillips Park among several milestones.

Soft opening to offer partial park access
The soft opening will give residents access to the park's new synthetic turf athletic field, playground, pickleball courts, basketball court and tennis court. The pavilion area will stay fenced off while reconstruction continues. Restroom work is expected to wrap up by mid-October, Community Recreation Director Fred Couceyro told the board at its Aug. 13 meeting.

Couceyro said in August that the pavilion requires more extensive reconstruction than originally anticipated because of current building code requirements.

When construction began in November 2025, the city projected an opening by early summer 2026, according to an October 2025 board presentation. The Sept. 10 agenda now targets a soft opening at the end of September.

Couceyro described Phillips Park at the board's May 14 meeting as the city's first park to combine a synthetic turf field, a destination playground, pickleball courts, a basketball court and a tennis court in one location. A future Phase 2 that would add a splash pad and community building carries an estimated $4.5 million price tag but is not yet funded.

Other capital projects advance citywide
The agenda lists several other updates for Thursday's meeting. Construction on the Country Club Pool Deck is expected to begin in November. Contracts for construction at Cooper Park and Rotary Park have been awarded. Granada Rain Shelters construction is anticipated to start within 30 days.

At the Aug. 13 meeting, Couceyro said the Cooper Park and Rotary Park contracts were nearing award and would go to the City Commission for approval. The agenda now lists those contracts as awarded.

Youth Center Master Plan makes debut
Thursday's agenda also includes the first presentation of a Youth Center Master Plan. Couceyro told the board in August that a conceptual presentation on future improvements to the Youth Center would be distributed to members and placed on the September agenda.

At the board's May 14 meeting, Assistant Director Espino announced a broader master planning effort for the entire Country Club campus. That effort covers the Coral Gables Golf & Country Club, Granada Golf Course, tennis facilities, maintenance operations, Boy Scout House and other recreational assets.

No cost estimate, timeline or designer for the Youth Center plan has been made public.

The board's next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 8 at 8:15 a.m.