Groundbreaking on the final phase of construction for the Redmond Downtown Park will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

When it is completed, it will be the city’s first urban park and fit within the guiding development philosophy of the city, Mayor John Marchione said.

“For every new neighborhood, we try to provide the same amenities as others,” Marchione said.

Improvements have also been made to Smith Park in the northern reaches of the city, he said.

Site improvement will be completed over the summer and construction on the $17 million park will begin in late summer or fall. It is expected to be completed by the summer of 2018.

The park will include a pavilion and stage performance area, splash pad water feature, a dining grove and a raised lawn with a deck and seating.

“We expect to have events and community festivals centered there,” Marchione said.

The park is located on Cleveland Street between 161st Avenue Northeast and Leary Way Northeast.

Marchione said the 2.2-acre parkland was acquired when the city connected 161st Avenue Northeast. An old shopping center was on the location as well as several businesses, which were relocated throughout the city.

Downtown Park will sit next to the old Redmond historic district, which is comprised of low-lying buildings. Marchione said securing the property as a park will ensure that the buildings are not overshadowed in the future.

Marchione said he wished the park could have been completed sooner, but the city decided to focus on traffic infrastructure improvements first.

Next year will be a big one for the city, he said, as Downtown Park will be opened in the summer, and in January 2018 Cleveland Street and Redmond Way will both be opened to two-way traffic following improvements.

Parking for the groundbreaking will be available at the public parking lot at Leary Way and Bear Creek Parkway.