Amenities at the future Oak Grove Community Park are set to be completed by 2027 after city leaders secured additional funding.
Fort Worth was one of several recipients awarded a total of $21.1 million in grants in January from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. The funds will help create and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities at local parks across the state, according to a news release.
Parks and recreation officials were awarded a $1.5 million grant to fund trails, native plants and grasses, signage, pavilions, playgrounds, sports fields, courts and additional parking.
The grant is awarded on the condition that the applicant honors the one-to-one matching requirement.
The city was also awarded a $1.5 million matching grant from the state commission last year for Oak Grove park.
Which Tarrant County parks received state funding?
Fort Worth’s Oak Grove Community Park was awarded $1.5 million from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s 2026 cycle of local park grants.
Burleson received a nearly $609,000 non-outdoor urban grant for a community park. The project includes a nature-themed playground, shade structures, sidewalks and a sensory path and garden.
Construction will begin in the fall. Officials estimate construction will take a year before the public can enjoy the future park’s new amenities, said assistant park and recreation department director Joel McElhany.
The park was originally slated for a 2026 completion date, according to previous Report coverage.
McElhany credits the state grants with helping parks officials make Oak Grove Community Park a reality.
The park’s future comes after south Fort Worth residents long made calls to city officials to prioritize the natural area’s development and include it in their bond proposals. The nearly 68-acre park was first acquired by Fort Worth in 2015 and went untouched for eight years.
In 2022, voters approved $123.9 million in bonds for parks and recreation improvements, including Oak Grove.
The community park is one of many that’s recently undergone improvements and planning.
In November, City Council members approved a $12,000 donation from a nonprofit to fund security lights along the bike trail circling North Z. Boaz Park.
In October, Fort Worth officials completed a dredging project at Foster Park to improve its water quality and restore wildlife habitation.
The city held an event Nov. 4 to celebrate the Foster Park’s restored ponds.
These projects come after the city adopted its newest park and recreation master plan, GREENprint. The plan, adopted in May, was crafted in response to rapid development taking place in Fort Worth, McElhany told officials last year, citing “needs” for parks.
The master plan was developed around the goal of creating a more connected system of Fort Worth’s parks, open spaces and trails.
Through the plan, parks staff are also looking to partner with property owners to incorporate green spaces as future development takes place.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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