Mountain’s Edge breaks ground on new Nathaniel Jones community park

During the groundbreaking ceremony for Nathaniel Jones Park, the cornerstone tree was planted and will welcome all who come to the 20-acre park. Participants who shoveled dirt to secure the tree included John Ritter, CEO and chairman of the board for Focus Property Group; U.S. Sen. Harry Reid; U.S. Rep. Dina Titus; Clark County Commissioners Susan Brager and Steve Sisolak and students from the community’s Carolyn S. Reedom and William V. Wright elementary schools.

The event also celebrated funding of the first phase of the 220-acre Mountain’s Edge Regional Park. The 15-acre first phase will feature picnic facilities with open grass play areas, benches, shade structures, drinking fountains, play amenities, restrooms, parking and 1½ miles of trails. The $8 million in Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act funding was secured by Nevada’s Congressional delegation at the request of Brager and Sisolak.

The Carolyn S. Reedom Elementary School Choir performed “Child of the Universe,” “Catch a Falling Star” and “Home Means Nevada.” William V. Wright Elementary School students shared information about the area’s history and pioneers, including park namesake Nathaniel Jones, who supervised one of the region’s first large-scale lead and silver mining projects in 1855.

The parks reflect the philosophy of Focus Property Group to offer Mountain’s Edge residents avenues for fitness and outdoor recreation with a commitment to protecting the natural desert environment and incorporating its beauty.

“Breaking ground at Nathaniel Jones Park is another sign of our community’s continued growth, and we’re particularly pleased to add more recreational space and lifestyle amenities for our residents at a time when few other communities are developing such features,” Ritter said.

“We’re also appreciative of the Congressional delegation’s and County Commissioners’ efforts to move the Mountain’s Edge Regional Park forward. In addition to our great homes, builders and location, these parks are another reason Mountain’s Edge continues to be one of the best-selling communities in Southern Nevada and the country.”

Located in the northwestern part of Mountain’s Edge, Nathaniel Jones Park will include a lighted basketball court, tot lot with shade structure, children’s water play area with splash pad, turf areas, walking trails and shade structures. Substantial completion of construction is expected by fall 2011.

While the Nathaniel Jones Park will be built first, the Mountain’s Edge Regional Park will eventually outgrow it.

As with all large regional parks, Mountain’s Edge Regional Park will require various funding sources, which haven’t been identified and full build-out is expected to take years, particularly given the state of the local economy.

Upon completion, it is expected to include a regional center, cultural center, skate park, performing arts amphitheatre, festival area, multiuse sports fields, practice softball and baseball fields, playground and spray feature, and enhanced picnic amenities with additional parking facilities.

Bounded by Mountain’s Edge Parkway on the north, Durango Drive on the west, Cactus Avenue on the south and open desert on the east, the regional park is expected to serve nearby residents and those who live five miles away.

Mountain’s Edge consistently has ranked in the country’s top five best-selling master planned communities for the past five years by RCLCO, a leading independent real estate advisory firm.

For information, visit the Mountain’s Edge New Home Information Center, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, at 9275 S. Buffalo Drive, call 898-5777 or visit mountainsedge.com.