This downtown Wichita park will replace rest of grass with artificial turf, add 3 trees

City crews will begin replacing the remaining grass in downtown Wichita’s Naftzger Park with artificial turf next week.

The city also plans to add three lacebark elm trees to the park, spokesperson Megan Lovely said.

The renovation, which was approved by the City Council late last year, will begin on March 7 and is expected to last three weeks.

“Since renovating Naftzger Park, we have seen a surge of increased activity and programming in the space. This is fantastic, but because of this increased use, the natural grass we put down has been difficult to maintain,” Parks Director Troy Houtman said in a news release.

“The artificial turf will ensure that the space is usable for the community year-round. The artificial turf will also help us save on irrigation — which is especially helpful during the current drought.”

Ten parking spaces on St. Francis Street will be blocked off during the renovation.

Wichita completed a $5.2 million remodel of Naftzger Park in 2020. Evergy, which donated $1.4 million for the project, got its name on the park’s video board and bandshell.

This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 2:43 PM.