Verde Design provided design services for a new 12-acre community park in the Town of Apple Valley, transforming a former sports field site into a vibrant recreational destination for the surrounding community. The property, previously leased from a local school district and consisting primarily of aging sports fields and a decomposed granite track, had deteriorated over time. Recognizing its potential to serve a nearby underserved neighborhood, the Town selected the site to pursue funding through California’s Proposition 68 Statewide Park Program.
Following the successful award of grant funding, Verde Design worked closely with the Town to develop conceptual master plans that balanced community priorities, available funding, and long-term operational needs. The project ultimately evolved into Captain Joseph McConnell Jr. U.S.A.F. Park, a new community park and veterans memorial honoring Captain Joseph C. McConnell Jr., one of the United States Air Force’s most celebrated Korean War fighter pilots. The park includes a range of recreational amenities designed to serve residents of all ages, including modern playgrounds, sports fields, picnic shelters, and open green spaces. A central veterans memorial anchors the park and recognizes the service and sacrifice of military veterans while honoring Captain McConnell’s legacy.
In November 2025, the Town hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Veterans Day to celebrate the opening of the memorial and the park’s children’s play area, both of which are now open to the public. The full park—including additional recreational amenities and improvements—is anticipated to open in the summer of 2026, completing the transformation of the site into a vibrant new community gathering space. Once fully completed, the park will provide Apple Valley residents with an important neighborhood recreational resource while also serving as a meaningful place of remembrance and civic pride.
