Land for the 14-acre city park, located at 1414 E. Hufsmith Road, was donated in July 2014 by Humana Inc. CEO Bruce Broussard. The KaBOOM community partner program and local volunteers constructed a playground on the land in December 2014, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.
Tomball City Council awarded contracts Nov. 4 totaling $491,428 for the installation of underground electrical utilities and the construction of restrooms and a concession building at the park.
To get the park fully operational, Jones said crews have demolished the house previously located on the property, installed a new fishing pier, stocked the pond with fish and established four soccer fields on the property.
"There is now a gate to the park. Most recently, we have abated and demolished the house. ... It's starting to look a little bit more like a park," she said. "Hopefully, by the time the park is up and running, we'll have some good-sized fish for the kids."
Crews are currently adding a sand volleyball court to the park and prepping an area for a wildflower meadow, she said.
"For some of the area that we had to designate as not to be developed for our Texas Parks and Wildlife grant [for park construction], we are going to establish a wildflower meadow," Jones said. "Hopefully, by the spring or summer, you'll see probably an acre, acre-and-a-half of wildflowers on the property as well."
The city has also purchased new playground equipment, including an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sensory garden.
Jones said walking trails will be added by Harris County Precinct 4 crews in the coming weeks. Three workout stations have been purchased and will be added along the trails as well.
"As you walk the trail, you'll have a stop to go and do something. It's pretty neat equipment," she said. "We're slated for the trailblazers to come out and put 8-foot wide asphalt trail,s probably in the next few weeks—hopefully, before Thanksgiving."
Although the plan for the park does not include emergency call boxes or an automated external defibrillator, Jones said city staff would investigate what it would take to add those items. Council Member Lori Klein Quinn recommended emergency call boxes be added, while Council Member Derek Townsend encouraged the city to add an AED unit at the park.
"Someplace that we can get to it in case somebody's walking and has a heart attack. We need to have [an AED] out there, without any question about it, and have it highly visible but yet protected," Townsend said during the meeting.
