Austin Parks Foundation hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 28, revealing renovations to Rosedale’s Ramsey Neighborhood Park. New park improvements brought additional shade structures, updates to the playscape and safety surfacing.
“Generations of Rosedale families have grown up on this playground,” District 10 Council Member Marc Duchen said. “So, when it came time to make improvements, the community was really clear about keeping its integrity because this place means so much to the kids and the families that come and enjoy this space.”
Austin Parks Foundation worked with the community, as well as the Rosedale Neighborhood Association “to preserve the park's character while improving its equipment, safety and comfort,” according to a press release.
More details
The approximate $100,000 project added a shade structure over the swings, a fall surface and additional play equipment, Colin Wallis, Austin Parks Foundation CEO, explained. The ribbon cutting marked the third round of improvements that Austin Parks Foundation has made to Ramsey Neighborhood Park since Wallis joined the organization in 2012, he said.
“A neighborhood park is so much more than a playground,” Morgan Merritt from the Rosedale Neighborhood Association said. “It's a place of community. And it's an important investment not only for our neighborhood, Rosedale, but for all of Austin.”
Why it matters
In 2023, Austin Parks Foundation made a commitment to match the City of Austin’s $2 million budget for shade structures in parks and green spaces across the city. Installations began the following year, bringing shade to playgrounds, pools, athletic courts and community spaces, according to the foundation.
The shade structures installed in Ramsey Neighborhood Park are part of the foundation’s shade commitment, Wallis said.
“As we would all agree today when it's going to hit, you know, triple digits, shade is something we all very much value,” Wallis said.
Funding the project
Austin Parks Foundation contributed more than $91,000 towards the Ramsey Neighborhood Park improvements, according to the release. The foundation also acquired the playground equipment and shade structures and provided project management services.
Additionally, Austin Parks Foundation awarded Ramsey Neighborhood Park a $50,000 ACL Music Festival grant in 2013 for tennis court improvements, a limestone amphitheater and shade structure.
