Work on Rincon’s Patriots Park could begin before the end of the year, after city council selected a winning bid Monday.

Ellis Wood Contracting was the winning bidder for the Patriots Park project at $397,776. City staff said they thought the project would begin in December and hoped it would be completed in time for spring play.

“This has been a long time in coming,” said Rincon Mayor Ken Lee.

Rincon Recreation Director David Wooten said the first phase of the project would contain the lighted tennis courts, parking for the courts, grading of the greenspace, roughing in parking for the greenspace and utilities to the pavilion area. He said after Phase I was completed, Phase II would put in the pavilion and irrigation for the greenspace (depending on cost of the pavilion), and sod for the fields.

The rendering of the entire master plan shows jogging trails and a large pond with a dock and pier, but Wooten said that these would come down the road after the first two phases of work had been finished.

The park site sits just to the south of the current YMCA property, off Highway 21.