Tea's 2026 Park Projects Are Racing the First Snow

The City of Tea announced four park projects in March: a new playground and band stage at the main city park, three pickleball courts at Prairie Trails Park, and a new eastside neighborhood park with a fenced dog park. As of early October, only the playground is confirmed finished. The new park is still being graded and poured, and the pickleball courts missed their contract deadline. City memos now schedule the last steps for the weeks before November snow. This October, the park that's ready to use is the oldest one in town.

The finished project is at Tea City Park

In July, SiouxFalls.Business reported that the city had completed a full replacement of the playground equipment at Tea City Park, 239 E Brian St. The same report described the live-entertainment stage as still in the planning stage. No later city document or news report shows it was built.

City Park still hosted the season. The Tea Chamber's Saturday in the Park market ran there monthly with live music, including Landon Weis on September 19, along with Black Iron Waffles, Island Guy Food Truck and Struggle Bus Coffee. The October market is the season finale.

Pinnacle Park's schedule runs right up to the snow

The eastside park is named Pinnacle Park. The Chamber director described its location as "just east of Pizza Ranch" and said in July that it was expected to open later this year. The best timeline comes from City Administrator Justin Weiland's report for the September 8 council meeting, which called it a "long awaited project" that "is beginning to take final shape."

Here's the order of work that report lays out:

1. City crews spent several weeks hauling dirt to the site.
2. A contractor was scheduled to start grading on September 15.
3. Flatwork concrete was set to follow grading, which was expected to finish around October 1.
4. Before the concrete goes in, the city maintenance department plans to install a water line and a hybrid drinking fountain that doubles as a dog watering station.
5. The playground equipment has already been delivered, and the installer was scheduled to start around the second or third week of October.
6. Fencing goes in after the concrete, under a quote the city says is within budget.
7. Hydroseeding comes last.

The deadline at the end of that list is the weather. In the memo's own words:

"Staff is working on a quote for hydro seed to occur prior to the snow flies in early November."

There's some evidence the work is moving. The warrants approved at the September 21 council meeting include $613.92 to Ferguson for "parts for dog park water." No public announcement had set an opening date as of October 4. The administrator's reports for the September 21 and October 5 meetings don't give an update on the park.

What the money is buying this year

The September memo itemizes the costs:

Before hydroseed, the total comes to about $320,000, a little over the $300,000 budget. A $100,000 grant covers part of the playground, so the city expects the general fund to pay $220,000 to $240,000. Staff plan to move money from other city projects that came in under budget to finish this one.

Some features are missing from that table. The memo says landscaping, trees, lighting and benches are planned for the 2027 budget. So the first version of Pinnacle Park will have a playground, a fenced dog area and a water station, but no shade trees, park lights or benches yet. With no lights, visits will be limited to daylight, which is getting shorter each week this fall.

The layout follows the city's concept plan, which puts the park along East Brian Street and East Ryan Drive with separate fenced areas for large and small dogs and a double-gate entry. That drawing is a 2024 planning document, so the finished park may look different.

At Prairie Trails, the pickleball courts are waiting on a shade structure

The pickleball courts ran into a different problem. Construction began after the city held a groundbreaking on Monday, July 20. LT Companies is building the three courts in the southwest corner of Prairie Trails Park, and Tea Weekly reported a target finish of October 2026. The plans include fencing, lighting, a small shade structure and a concrete walkway to the courts. City officials said they put the courts in that corner to keep the park's open grass free for youth soccer and football practices.

The contract deadline was September 4, and the contractor missed it. A supply delay on fence posts held up the post-tension concrete slab. The city's inspecting engineer, Confluence, then asked for some small corrections to that concrete before the playing surface goes on. The materials for the small shelter weren't expected until mid-October. City staff recommended that the council approve the contractor's first pay request, for $135,000. The contract includes liquidated damages, a set penalty for finishing late, and the memo says the council will decide how much of it to apply once the project closes.

Of all the features, the lighting matters most for this time of year. Lit courts can be used after early sunsets, which the unlit Pinnacle Park can't offer until 2027 at the earliest. Even so, the finishing work at Prairie Trails is happening during the same short window Pinnacle Park is working in. No source as of October 4 confirms the courts are open.

A wet fall is also tearing up the grass

While crews try to get new turf seeded at Pinnacle Park, existing turf elsewhere is being damaged. The administrator's report for the October 5 council meeting says crews have found e-bikes being ridden off the paved trails. During several weeks of wet weather, riders on grass left "ruts and killing grass," damage the street maintenance department will have to regrade and reseed.

The memo floats a solution: limit e-bikes to paved paths in city parks. That would take a new ordinance with a fine for riding off the path, plus signs in the parks. Right now, the memo says, the city has no recourse beyond asking riders to stay on the trails. Administration asked the council to discuss it and give direction. As of October 4 it's only a proposal, and nothing has been adopted.

Rules that already apply in every city park are posted on the city's parks page. Parks are open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., and owners must pick up after their animals.

What's usable in October

With the new parks still under construction, here's what's open and what to watch for this month:

• Saturday, October 17, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free Saturday in the Park season finale at Tea City Park, 239 E Brian St. The Chamber lists Espresso Patronum LLC, Double D Mini Donuts and live music by Keturah Wollman, and notes that vendors and entertainment may change.
• The new City Park playground. It's the one finished 2026 project, at the same address as the market.
• The Prairie Trails green space. The courts were placed in the southwest corner so that the open grass stays available.
• Mid to late October at Pinnacle Park. If the September schedule held, the playground installer should be on site around the second or third week of October.
• Tuesday, October 13, 6 p.m. A special City Council meeting at Tea City Hall on the proposed Hammer Head development, the golf course project on the southwest side of town.

The Chamber's October calendar lists no Halloween or trunk-or-treat event in Tea as of this writing. The city's own schedule has Pinnacle Park's hydroseed going down before early November, with trees, lighting and benches waiting on the 2027 budget.

If you're thinking about how a home near Pinnacle Park or Prairie Trails fits your plans, Berberich Real Estate Group follows these projects through the council packets as they move. Schedule a consultation, and we'll walk you through what's finished, what's scheduled and what's still waiting on the 2027 budget.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.