The Bellevue City Council approved a $4.21 million contract Jan. 6 to complete athletic fields and other site improvements at Hidden Valley Park. The project is a partnership between Bellevue and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue.

Bellevue and youth organization will share equally in the cost of the site improvements, which include the installation of synthetic turf on the existing ball fields, construction of a fourth field and expansion of the parking lot. The city will pay the full cost of $76,650 for a separate maintenance building.

Under an agreement, the city will lease a one-half acre parcel of the 17-acre Hidden Valley Park to the organization for $1 per year for 50 years. The boys and girls clubs will construct, operate and maintain a 21,500-square-foot gymnasium, which will accommodate activities such as basketball, volleyball, pickle ball and practice baseball. The city will be able to schedule programs in the gym when it’s not being used by youth organization.

Site work is expected to begin in February; gym construction is slated to start in April. The city and boys/girls clubs also will share an estimated $650,000 in additional “soft costs” for services such as engineering, design and project management.

Funding for the city’s share of the project will come from the voter-approved 2008 Parks & Natural Areas Levy. The Bellevue Boys and Girls Clubs is conducting a fundraising campaign.