Playing softball, soccer and baseball will look different for Southlake athletes in 2024. The Community Services and Public Works Departments are undertaking a project to install artificial turf on 11 playing fields between two parks, Bicentennial and Bob Jones.

Bicentennial and Bob Jones parks both serve as cornerstones of this community. They are the weekend home to thousands of young Southlake athletes who spend time playing baseball, soccer, and softball. The turf updates to the fields add to the appeal of our award-winning parks, as our athletes will be competing on the same turf system used at the Liverpool FC of the English Premier League.

The project scope includes four baseball fields at Bicentennial Park, four softball fields at Bob Jones Park, and three multipurpose fields also at Bob Jones Park. In addition to the new playing surfaces, several fields will receive new fencing and even some new dugouts. Weather permitting, the project is estimated to reach completion in spring 2024.

“We’re so excited to be able to offer these fields to our community,” said Community Services Director David Miller. “The new playing surfaces will be awesome to look at, a great asset to the parks, and will better accommodate the needs of our community.”

Recognizing the opportunity to enhance playing and training capabilities at our parks, City Council approved this major turf project during their Oct. 17, 2023, meeting. GeoSurfaces, Inc, who previously installed turf in the playground area of Bicentennial park earlier in 2023, will be the contractor for the $11.6 million project. Funds for the project are allocated from the Southlake Parks Development Corporation (SPDC) Capital Improvement Program.

This project was made a priority in the 2035 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan. The plan was formally adopted in 2021, but during the City Council Summer Work Session of 2023, City Council reprioritized replacing the grass in our most popular parks.

The addition of artificial turf brings many advantages. Not only will they have less maintenance needs throughout the year, but they will maximize field use and increase the flexibility of the space. Turf fields are well-drained, making them available for play almost year-round. This means less chances of rainouts for our athletic association partners: Dragon Youth Baseball, Southlake Girls Softball Association and Grapevine-Southlake Soccer Association. Another benefit of turf fields will be the water conservation that will result no longer having to irrigate the fields.

“We can’t wait to see our athletic association partners taking full advantage of the fields once the project is complete,” said Miller. “We’re really looking forward to the kids enjoying the updated spaces.”

Once completed, these fully customized fields will become part of the list of world-class amenities which make Southlake parks stand out in the region. To learn more about the project visit ExperienceSouthlakeTexas.com.