Dozens of Lacey community members and city staff, past and present, braved the rain Thursday evening to celebrate the culmination of over a decade of work: the grand opening of Greg Cuoio Park.
The city finished the first phase of park development this summer, opening 139 acres to the public in July and officially marking that opening with a ribbon cutting on Sept. 24.
The park is the vision of its namesake, former Lacey City Manager Greg Cuoio, who dedicated 24 years to public service.
Cuio was instrumental in acquiring the 537 acre property shortly before his retirement in 2011.
“This park will be here long after us. It's one of a kind. It's irreplaceable,” Cuoio said Thursday. “It belongs to the people of Lacey, to the families and friends who will explore it, to the children who will grow up in it, and to the community that will gather here and enjoy it.”
The City of Lacey laid out a master plan for the park’s development in 2022, projecting over 20 years of improvements to 139 acres to turn it into a community park.
Phase 1A, which the city completed this summer, includes 3 miles of trails through the forest that connects to the major areas of the park; a nature-themed, inclusive and accessible playground with synthetic turf surfacing and a companion swing; 2 acres of open grass area; on-site signage and maps; parking with 75 spots; portable restrooms; and a large shelter with 12 picnic tables.
Additionally, an 18-hole disc golf course is planned as a long-term project, made possible through a partnership with the South Puget Sound Disc Golf Association.
A temporary course is now open for play while development continues.
The construction cost for this first phase was $6.5 million, according to the City of Lacey.
The city secured nearly $1 million in grant funding, including a state legislative appropriation of $499,550 and $500,000 from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program – Local Parks.
“This is such a gem to add to our community, and there's so much work, as we all know, that goes into making a park like this happen,” said Lan Nicolai of the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.
The publicly accessible area of the park is just a fraction of the park’s total 537 acre size.
The remaining land includes dense forest, wetlands, tributaries and sensitive habitat areas, which the city purchased in 2011 with the intention of protecting.
“At the time, we weren't simply buying land because we thought it might someday make a great park. We were making a much bigger investment in Lacey's future,” said Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder.
The protected land has since become a key part of Lacey’s long-term water strategy, helping the city protect water quality and ensure the city has enough water to sustain its continued growth.
“To me, that's what good planning looks like. It means understanding that growth and environmental stewardship don't have to compete with one another. They can and should be part of the same strategy,” Ryder said.
The park’s design prioritizes open space preservation, water quality protection and natural environment enhancement.
The next phase of construction, Phase 1B, involves completing the golf course, expanding the trail network, and building permanent bathroom structures, a dog park, a bioretention pond and additional shelter areas.
For more information and project updates, visit LaceyParks.org/Cuoio.
