Huffington Park reopens after extensive renovation project

After a months-long renovation project, West University Place’s Huffington Park is now reopened and once again serving children in the community.

The city’s parks and recreation department celebrated the park’s reopening with a ribbon cutting alongside members of the Friends of West University Parks Fund and the Doustan family, who sponsored a portion of the renovation cost.

“This is what is so special about West U: having so much community involvement,” said Susan White, the city’s parks and recreation director. “We have the Friends of West U Parks here, and we could not do all these wonderful improvements without their generosity and their funding support and the wonderful donors here.”

The Friends of West University Parks Fund, a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising funds for development and improvement of parks and green spaces, committed to covering up to $199,749 for the cost of the park’s improvements, according to the city.

Construction on the improvements started May 17, and include a new ship play structure, expanded green space and artificial turf areas, two expression swings, powder coated fencing, new wooden fencing on the south side of the park, repainting of light poles and swing set posts, and the city’s first rubber capped sidewalk that winds through the park.

“We couldn’t do this without you,” said Sami Morrison, chairwoman of the Friends of West University Parks Fund. “Friends [of West University Parks Fund] couldn’t otherwise raise the funds needed to do these refurbishments and other expansions that we have throughout West U and create spaces that are enviable among other cities and towns not only in Texas, but across the country.”