Construction on improvements to Tomball’s Matheson Park began Jan. 16 after the old playground was demolished, Tomball's Public Works Director Drew Huffman said via email Jan. 19.

“The new playground construction will start the first week of February and is scheduled to be back open for play by the second week of March,” Huffman said. “We anticipate the full reconstruction of the park to take 10-11 months.”

The improvements to the park include a new playground, a splash pad, four pickleball courts, improvements to the baseball field and a loop trail. The parking lot will also see improvements to its surface and striping.

“The construction of the park will take place in phases with the first phase being the playground and second being the splash pad,” Huffman said. “We do anticipate multiple components of the park being worked on at the same time.”

In total, the projects at Matheson Park are expected to cost around about $1.8 million, of which $750,000 is a grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Community Impact previously reported.

“We are all excited for this project and look forward to the many years of enjoyment for everyone in the community at Jerry Matheson Park,” Huffman said.