The park, which includes a skate park, trails and public restrooms, closed Aug. 22 to prepare for construction. Construction is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete.
What’s happening?
The nearly 40-acre, $16.5 million project will renovate the park to serve as a gathering place for the more than 700,000 people who visit Boerne’s green spaces each year, city staff said. The project is the largest parks and recreation development the city has undertaken.
The parkland was purchased as part of a 2007 bond election, according to city documents. Alongside city and 2022 bond funding, a $750,000 grant was awarded by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for the construction of the park.
Planned amenities and improvements include:
- Multiuse fields with high-performance LED sports lighting
- Food court with restrooms, shade structures and picnic tables
- Family restrooms
- 12 pickleball courts with shade structure and LED lighting
- Basketball pavilion with two courts and LED lighting
- Splashpad
- All-inclusive playgrounds
- Dog park for small and large dogs
- Half-mile walking trail
- Loop roadway with head in parking and two parking lots, totalling 277 spaces
- Multiple low-impact development treatments
- Stormwater detention ponds
While the focus of the park is providing space for the community, City Manager Ben Thatcher said the approach is to be as sustainable as possible.
Communications Director Chris Shadrock, in an email, said the park project will require the removal of around 3.5% of trees in the park.
However, city staff plans to plant 86 canopy trees, resulting in a 10% increase in total trees in the park.
Thatcher said the trees planned for removal will be repurposed as mulch, and the trunks will be recycled for agility amenities in the dog park or playground.
“This park is another clear example of how we can take community input, align it with our strategic goals and deliver something extraordinary,” Thatcher said.
What they’re saying
Mayor Frank Ritchie highlighted the work of current and previous staff and city council members who have made the park a possibility.
Ritchie said the cooperation between staff and the community, alongside resident feedback, will leave a legacy that can be enjoyed by generations to come.
“This project is a testament to what makes Boerne so special,” Ritchie said.
Mayor Pro Tem Ty Wolosin said the project highlights one of the many reasons that people want to live in Boerne.
“That charm is not accidental,” Wolosin said. “It comes from the people that care deeply about their neighbors, about preserving our Hill Country character, and about creating spaces where community can thrive.”
