Phoenix unveils new South Mountain Activity Complex

• The project cost about $25 million, funded by the voter-approved Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative Program.

Zoom in: The complex's centerpiece is a half-acre shaded pavilion, which city officials touted as a great place for big events like weddings and graduations, with mountains on one side and an expansive view of the city on the other.

• Eight smaller pavilions throughout the complex are connected by ADA-compliant walking paths, some of which point directly toward other Valley mountains and end with information signs about landmarks such as Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain.
• The landscaping includes about 250 new trees and 700 new shrubs, per parks and recreation director Marty Whitfield.

Mayor Kate Gallego noted that the new desert willows will be blooming for the next few months and that the Desert Botanical Garden brought in elephant trees, which are native to South Mountain but hard to find throughout the rest of Phoenix.