Residents in the northwest part of the city are ready to play as the third and final phase of Centennial Hills Park is nearing completion. The newest phase provides amenities while highlighting some of the historic elements of the area. The Centennial Hills complex is located at 6601 N. Buffalo Drive.

The new phase adds many new amenities that both young and old will enjoy. Picnic shelters for small groups as well as ramadas for larger groups adorn the organic architecture of the arroyos. This phase also incorporates an outdoor grass amphitheatre with seating capacity of 3,500, a playground and  splash pad, an open turf area, horseshoe pits, a public art feature with steel sculptures of prehistoric animals who once roamed this area, interpretive educational signage and an interpretive overlook area at the highest slope. In addition, electrical hook ups in the parking lot will help to accommodate a weekly Farmer’s Market.

One of the many unique features of this portion of the park is that it will incorporate the first fully Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) playground in Las Vegas. The playground will be 100 percent accessible for children with disabilities with ramps and plays areas designed specifically to allow wheelchair access.

The last phase of the park also focuses on the environmental and historical aspects of the community. Working in collaboration with the Geoscience Department at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, an inverted historic river bed was discovered. The river bed is perhaps the last remaining remnant of a large network of such channels that once covered this region.
  
To help residents and visitors understand the vast history of this area, interpretive signage describing the plants, animals, geology and hydrogeology of the area will be installed along the walking paths. The signs will describe the geological significance of the area and its value for Las Vegans today.

The Centennial Hills Master Planned Campus earned a first place award in the Sports and Leisure category at the World Leadership Awards last year in London, England. The campus includes a fire station, 53-acre regional park, 98,385 square-foot multigenerational community center with active adult center component and indoor and outdoor aquatics facilities, a 46,000 square-foot library under construction and additional space for a future Metropolitan Police Department substation.

A grand opening event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. The event will include a Back-to-School Fair from 6 to 8 p.m. and a presentation of the Disney movie “Dinosaurs” at 8 p.m.