Residents are invited to take part in the groundbreaking for Missouri City’s Freedom Tree Park, near the city’s historic site where slaves in the community were informed after the Civil War in 1865 that they were no longer enslaved.

The big picture

Missouri City officials will break ground on the historic park, located at 4219 Freedom Tree Drive, on Feb. 22 at 10 a.m., following the city’s fourth annual Tanique Evans Freedom Walk.



The details

The $3.5 million Freedom Tree Park project will develop 5 acres of parkland east of Misty Hollow Drive, directly across from the historic Freedom Tree. Parks & Recreation Assistant Director Daniele Stewart previously said the project will feature amenities including:

• Playground
• Plaza
• Public art element
• Gathering spaces
• Parking

The project is funded by the city’s $85.85 million bond approved by voters in November 2021, which included $23.02 million in parks improvements. It’s also funded through a $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Local Parks Grant, which was awarded in 2022, Stewart said.

Notable quote

“This is a monumental time in our city’s history honoring something that means so much surrounding freedom and resilience,” council member Jeffrey Boney said in a Facebook video. “When many of our freedoms have been under attack for many, many years and even today, honoring the formerly enslaved in Fort Bend County, particularly here in Missouri City, with the Freedom Tree and the Freedom Tree Park enhancements is significant.”

Going forward

An exact timeline is not available, although Stewart previously said construction is expected to last between nine to 12 months.