Thursday, March 28, 2024

Beautiful Places and Enhanced Spaces, FY 2017 Budget to Boost Bicentennial Park

A city known for a wide variety of shopping, Southlake also boasts an equally impressive parks system!

Seamlessly blended between Southlake’s retailers, residential areas and top-rated schools, residents and visitors can take advantage of multiple City parks, recreation and open spaces, as well as community facilities. With the City of Southlake’s new fiscal year starting on October 1, the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget would further allow for development of certain Southlake parks, notably Bicentennial Park.

As the first public park in Southlake, Bicentennial Park is now home to baseball fields, the Liberty Gardens, the Southlake Tennis Center, a new playground and The Marq Southlake, in addition to offering recreational activities for all ages. Phase I of construction on Bicentennial Park was completed in 2011 and provided new baseball fields, concession stands, tennis courts, and ponds. Phase II of the project was completed in 2015, further adding to the community offerings with a new playground, the Texas Rangers Miracle League Field, a 60/90 baseball field, a new concession and restroom facility, enhancements to the original baseball 4-plex, a Park Boulevard connection to White Chapel Boulevard, a new park maintenance facility, parking, trails, enhanced landscaping, and irrigation improvements.

The Fiscal Year 2017 Budget would allow for Bicentennial Park Phase III, an $8.8 million dollar project funded by the Southlake Parks and Development Corporation (SPDC). Created in 1993, the SPDC administers the City’s half-cent sales tax allocated to parks-related capital projects. When the third and final phase is completed, the Southlake Tennis Center will gain a new building and enclosed tennis courts, the park will gain a completed trail system, a synthetic turf field will be added to the current in-line hockey court, and other park amenities will be enhanced. Certain elements of Bicentennial Phase III are anticipated to be completed by 2018.

“When we started the Southlake 2030 Comprehensive Plan, we knew the Bicentennial Park improvements would help make the park a true destination for the Southlake Community. We’re very proud of the work that has already been completed and are looking forward to the work to come in Phase 3. This is already a beautiful space, and with the final improvements beginning at the end of the year, it will remain a beautiful space for generations of Southlake residents to enjoy,” states Chris Tribble, Director of Community Services.

Guided by the Parks, Recreation & Open Space/Community Facilities Master Plan, an element of the Southlake 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the City of Southlake continues to better integrate parks planning with land use and mobility elements, and responds to the needs expressed by Southlake citizens in their desires for leisure services and community facilities. Currently, the City of Southlake offers three community parks, three Town Square parks, 12 neighborhood parks, and three community facilities. To date, out of the 144 total plan recommendations, 28 recommendations have been completed. From installing trash receptacles and pet waste dispensers to evaluating the need for picnic tables and benches at individual parks, city-wide examples of accomplishments include:

• Explored opportunities to lease pavilions and parks for corporate events
• Developed pedestrian safety measures and traffic calming measures
• Created a uniform park amenity program for City parks

Parks and recreation spaces play a valuable role in the social, economic and physical well-being of Southlake residents and visitors. With the proposed Fiscal Year 2017 Budget allowing for further development of Bicentennial Park, in addition to other funded projects, Southlake will continue to offer beautiful places and enhanced spaces. For more information, please contact Parks and Recreation at (817) 748-8019 .

An image of a family bowling and dining

Photo of a solar eclipse