After 20 years of planning and three years of construction, Zipp Family Sports Park is ready for some action.
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The Zipp Family Sports Park can accommodate youth, recreational, competitive and tournament play across multiple sports. New Braunfels City Manager Robert Camareno said the park gives them the ability to hold regional and statewide tournaments while increasing visitor spending, benefiting local hotels, restaurants and businesses.
The park is named after the Zipp family, who sold 123.5 acres to the city in 2017 and later donated an additional 25 acres to make the project happen.
Tim Zipp said their ancestor, Johann Jacob Zipp, arrived from Germany about 180 years ago seeking opportunity. The 25-acre property had been a family ranch where relatives lived, worked and created “lasting memories,” Tim Zipp said.
Funding for the $41.1 million park was supported by voters in two city bond elections, a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, or TPWD, grant and the New Braunfels Economic Development Corp., or NBEDC.
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Digging deeper
The Zipp Family Sports Park is located within the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, No. 4, which was created by the city in November 2025. A TIRZ captures a portion of new tax revenue occurring within the defined zone.
The Zipp Park TIRZ will capture 85% of the ad valorem tax increment within the TIRZ boundaries to reinvest in the area. Over a 25-year period, TIRZ No. 4 will generate approximately $5.1 million.
The additional property tax revenue generated by increases in taxable property values within TIRZ No. 4 is referred to as the tax increment. The city will capture 85% of that additional revenue and reinvest it in projects, such as public infrastructure improvements and park enhancements, within the zone.
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The park supports conservation and environmental stewardship through a reclaimed water irrigation system supported by a 500,000-gallon, on-site water storage tank, Camareno said. There are also native grasses and plants throughout the park. Sustainability features were integrated into the project’s design through collaboration among the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, Green Valley Special Utility District and electric company Calpine, Camareno said.
“This park is more than just a place to play sports. It’s an important gathering space for residents, promoting community and healthy living,” he said.
What's next
Former New Braunfels Mayor Neal Linnartz said the city was proud to celebrate this milestone.
“We’re excited to see this park become part of the story of New Braunfels for many years to come,” Linnartz said.
Crystal Locke, TPWD local parks program manager for the Central Texas region, said they are “thrilled to have been a small part of this massive project.”
Stephen Brockman, a parent of an athlete and a member of the TIRZ No. 4 board, said New Braunfels has one of the largest Little League in North America.
Brockman said the New Braunfels league supports more than 2,500 young athletes annually, which makes reserving a spot to play at the city’s current fields “tough to get a spot on.”
“Those kids don’t get to have a home tournament. They don’t get to have the home-field advantage that this place provides us,” Brockman said. “I can’t wait to see that first kid who pitches a no-hitter on these beautiful fields or maybe that first lady who hits a bomb over deep center.”
Tim Zipp said he and his family were honored that the land, which has meant so much to their family, can now be shared.
There are additional fields and amenities planned for the future, according to a city news release.
