A major development of Wes Howard Memorial Sports Park is in the works, with a variety of family friendly recreational amenities slated for installation on the parkland adjacent to the Rogue Credit Union Community Complex (RogueX) in the coming months.
The 50-acre site will soon feature a neighborhood park, a dedicated pickleball facility, three sand volleyball courts, three youth ballfields, a Vietnam War Memorial, and 260 additional parking spaces to support increased usage.
Neighborhood park
Plans for the new neighborhood park that will serve over 2,000 Medford residents within a half-mile radius include a playground, a basketball court, picnic tables with shade structures, a walking path, and an 89-stall parking lot. The basketball court, while smaller in size, will be a full court with two hoops, a common feature of Medford's neighborhood parks of this size.
Pickleball facility
Acting on strong community demand, the Lithia & Driveway Pickleball Courts will be the largest municipal pickleball facility in the region, featuring 19 lighted courts and potentially six more in a future construction phase.
The open-to-the-public facility will attract large regional and national tournaments while also serving as a state-of-the-art venue for daily drop-in use and other pickleball programs.
Construction cost is $1.8 million, with funding coming from Howard Memorial Sports Park, Inc., the City of Medford, Southern Oregon Pickleball Association fundraising efforts, and a long-term facility naming rights agreement with Lithia Motors, Inc.
Sand volleyball courts
Three collegiate beach volleyball-quality sand courts are planned for the south side of the park, which will nearly double the City's current court inventory for what is a popular outdoor activity.
Youth ballfields and batting cages
Additionally, three youth ballfields and batting cages will be built on the west side of the park. Field dimensions are optimal for 12-and-under baseball and 18-and-under fastpitch softball use. Based on program feedback, there is a shortage of ballfields in Medford to meet the intense demand for youth baseball and fastpitch practices and games.
Vietnam War Memorial
Construction is already underway and nearing completion on the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, featuring the names of over 58,000 men and women who served and died in the war. The initiative is the result of years of fundraising by Southern Oregon Veterans Benefit, with major financial and in-kind support from Howard Memorial Sports Park, Inc., and many Rogue Valley businesses.
Project background and timeline
The park, owned by Howard Memorial Sports Park, Inc., is being developed in cooperation with the City based on the directions contained in the Last Will and Testament of Wesley Howard, which was probated in Jackson County Circuit Court in 2003.
"The City of Medford is excited to partner with the Howard Memorial Sports Park board of directors and other community organizations to help make Wes Howard's dying wish come true in terms of his longtime homestead being developed to benefit children and families of Medford," Parks and Recreation Director Rich Rosenthal said. "I think he'd be pleased about what is happening."
Work on the various recreational amenities is expected to begin this fall, with the completion of most features in 2026.