Mayor Sylvester Turner; State Representative Armando Walle, District 140; Council Member Karla Cisneros, District H; Matthew Fougerat, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Local Park Grants Coordinator; Alex Aguilar, Vice-President, North Houston American Little League, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) will break ground on a $3.1 million sports field and park amenities improvement project at Squatty Lyons Park, 1701 Chamberlain Street, 77093, on August 15th at 12:30 pm.
The Phase II renovations to this new sports-experience complex will complete the Squatty Lyons Park Master Plan and re-design all outdoor recreation amenities to increase participation and engage neighborhood residents in outdoor activities. Ballfield renovations will include new fences, backstops, dugouts, leveling, grading, repairing and sodding all fields, repairing/replacing lighting, and installing new irrigation systems. Other improvements include a new playground with units for 0 to 5 and 5 to 12 years with swings, a new concession building with restrooms, a loop walking trail and exercise station, refurbishing the two parking areas to add over 100 additional parking spaces, and landscaping with native plantings. The project’s $3.1 million cost includes the total construction budget (including contingency, engineering and materials testing, and civic art) and design cost. Renovations are expected to be completed in the Spring of 2020.
“The second phase of improvements to this park are a vivid example of how my staff and I are providing upgrades to neighborhood parks, not just the showcase parks in our city,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “I am already looking forward to the great experiences young people, adults and families will enjoy as a result of this work.”
“I am so appreciative of the partnerships that have come together around Squatty Lyons Park to make this significant investment possible. Good things happen when people pull together and pull in the same direction. The effort to renovate and improve Squatty Lyons Park is a great example of that kind of collaboration,” said Council Member Karla Cisneros, District H. “One of the major improvements that I am most excited about, is that the park and the ballfields will now be completely accessible for those with physical challenges. This opens up league play in a whole new way, giving opportunity to children that were once excluded because of accessibility issues.”
The improvements are part of two comprehensive citywide plans: The City of Houston Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the Parks Master Plan. Funding for the renovations is made possible through a $1 million Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Local Urban Outdoor Grant matched by a combination of Capital Improvement Projects Funds, Park and Recreation Dedication Funds, and Parks Special Funds.
“We are thankful to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for its continued support of Houston’s park system,” said Steve Wright, Director Houston Parks and Recreation Department. “With their support, we can leverage our parks funds to provide needed amenities to local parks that improve the lives of all park users.”
The Phase I renovation of Squatty Lyons Park was completed in 2006 and included the renovation of three baseball fields with lighting on the eastern portion of the park.
About the Houston Parks and Recreation Department
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (H.P.A.R.D.) stewards and manages over 37,851 acres of parkland and greenspace for the City of Houston and develops and implements recreational programming for citizens of all abilities. For more information on the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, call (832) 395-7022 or visit www.houstonparks.org.