Wichita suburb adding new playground, splash pad, pickleball courts to park. Here’s where
The largest park in Derby is getting a revamp that should be completed by the end of May.
A $4 million renovation at 116-acre High Park will add a new playground, a larger splash pad, an eight-court pickleball complex, remodeled restrooms and more needed upgrades.
“High Park is our largest park . . . but it hasn’t been really touched as far as recreation, in its 25-year lifespan,” Robert Mendoza, Derby’s director of public works, told The Eagle. “This was a perfect opportunity to look at High Park and spread the recreational opportunities throughout the park.”
Other improvements include a renovated family shelter, extended parking and more restrooms. The new playground will feature multi-level equipment, including a 30-foot tower with multiple pods for children to play in.
High Park is at 2801 E. James St. on the east side of Derby. It also features an ampitheater, a baseball field, fishing lake, a grill, hiking and bike path, a nature area and a softball and soccer field.
When discussing the Derby’s 2022 parks master plan, the city compared High Park to renovations done in 2016 to Madison Avenue Central Park.
“That park had state of the art playground. It has an art wall, it has everything is ADA accessible. . . . It is so popular that it’s not lasting as long as we had hoped it would last, right? So, because it’s so well-used and so well-loved, it is wearing out quicker than you would like,” Mendoza said.
“Knowing how popular the work that we had done in the past is, we were looking for ways to share that recreational experience throughout the park system, and so High Park was an exceptional location.”
The renovation is being paid for with money collected from the Derby Difference sales tax approved by voters in November 2023. The sales tax began in January 2025 to replace a half-percent sales tax that was expiring. It will run through December 2034.
“The goal is to be good stewards of our existing properties, make sure that they are meeting the expectations of our community and hopefully helping everybody have a great time on our parks,” Mendoza said.
The Derby City Council approved the contract with the construction company in September 2025. Now, the city is on track to have a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 29, Mendoza said.
