By Fred Liggett
FredL@lstribune.net

Lee’s Summit residents got used to seeing a lot of traffic going in and out of Lea McKeighan Park for nearly nine months as transformation of the site to a new multi-use facility was completed. Now that the work is done Lee’s Summit Parks officials hope to see lots of traffic coming and going at the site as both community members and visitors enjoy the renovated park.

The new park offers visitors the chance to enjoy a new splash pad, a multi-use trail, three pickleball courts and an ice rink which is set to open this winter. The

$4.7 million dollar project took approximately nine months to complete from August 2017 to early May 2018. Lee’s Summit Parks & Rec officials estimate well over 100 people worked on the project.

Workers included landscape crews, splash pad and playground installers, LSPR crews, an ice contractor, subcontractors and a general contractor.

Drawing a lot of interest are the pickleball courts and the ice rink at the park. Currently LSPR offers four pickleball courts at Banner Park but now can offer three more courts to play on at Lea McKeighan.

Both daytime and evening leagues have already been formed for the increasingly popular sport. Chuck Auer, a Lee’s Summit resident and regular pickleball player, says “it’s a good thing to have three new courts to play on.” “But would be more of a good thing if they had installed six courts.”

Use of the Ice rink facility is still four months away. The rink will be managed by KCIce. LSPR will work with KCIce to develop appropriate programming for the rink.

The days/hours of the ice rink are still being finalized at this time with KCIce. The season for the rink will be from November 1 through March 1.

Cost to use the rink for Lee’s Summit residents will be $7 for adults along with a $3 skate rental. For those outside of Lee’s Summit it’s $9. LS residents will be asked to show an ID for their discount. During the construction process seven miles of tubing was installed underneath the rink.

A grand opening ceremony to open the facility is being planned but at this point no definite plans are set. The opening ceremony for the ice rink may include the Kansas City Mavericks pro hockey team in some form but nothing has been determined yet.

Lea McKeighan Park is open and ready for visitors seven days a week at 120 NE Chipman road in Lee’s Summit, Mo. To learn more phone (816) 969-1500 or go online at http://www.lsparks.net.