On June 14, Pflugerville City Council passed the 1849 Park Master Plan, which is a document that will guide the city as it builds the sports complex and park in east Pflugerville. To accomplish the scope outlined in the document, city officials are electing to build the amenity in stages throughout decades.

The first stage, which is about 25 acres, will focus on building fields to host youth sports competitions, which was the park’s original purpose when city officials put $11 million in the November 2014 bond package.

“We were [originally] just looking for 100 acres to be a youth sports complex because that was the immediate need,” Parks and Recreation Department Director James Hemenes said. “We found this piece of property, we looked at it, and we realized it’s going to be so much more than sports. [...] This will be our crown jewel when it’s done.”

Hemenes said the park, when finished, will be a 323-acre community park featuring many aspects aside from sports such as trails, a dog park, green spaces that can host festivals, and even a natural area for camping or archery.

“We want to meet the needs of all of our residents, not just the kids playing soccer,” he said. “This park can be a little bit of everything for everybody.”

The first phase will focus on constructing sports fields for soccer, football and possibly lacrosse as well as basic infrastructure such as parking lots, restrooms and water lines. Hemenes said 1849 will feature playgrounds and restrooms throughout.

Hemenes said if the park broke ground in the fall, construction could take about a year, and the fields would need time to grow grass. He said a conservative estimate is to have playable fields in spring 2018.

For the whole park to be complete, Hemenes said, could take decades.

“It all depends on the funding,” he said. “If in five years the voters have the will and desire to build out the rest and they want to pay out whatever it is, we could build it in five years. It all depends on what folks are willing to pay for.”

Hemenes said there will also be transportation improvements around the park, though he did not have a timeline for those. He said Cameron Road would be improved where people enter the park, and Melber Lane will be extended through the park at some point, which park officials have included in their long-term plans.