Nature trails, amphitheater and fishing pond will transform this Haltom City park
Once a consideration to be replaced, Haltom City’s major park appears to be on its way to revived greatness.
In fact, Parks and Recreation Director Christi Pruitt said the plan is to make North Park better than ever, with a new look and new amenities. The city recently broke ground on renovation of the nearly 56-acre park at 5220 Denton Highway.
“We are so excited to finally see this project happening. It has been a long time coming,” Pruitt said.
The renovation will include the addition of a 4-acre fishing pond with fishing pier, walking path, native landscaping, playground and pavilion, an amphitheater and improved parking.
The popular 36-hole disc golf course and softball field will remain, Pruitt noted, along with a restroom, a necessity in any park.
City Manager Rex Phelps said the renovated park will augment the city’s recent record economic growth and future growth. The city has added single-family subdivisions and numerous apartment projects.
“Those new residents, our existing residents and visitors can all benefit from the new North Park,” Phelps said, noting the park will also be used for hosting festivals and other such events.
Recovery from flood
In 2007, the park suffered a massive flood, with much of the damage affecting 11 acres where the Northeast Optimist Club had four baseball fields. This is where most of the renovation is occurring, Pruitt noted.
“It took a lot of time and money to recover from the flood and NEO, with assistance from FEMA and the Texas Rangers, just could not build their program back up to what it was prior to the flood,” Pruitt said. “Their numbers dwindled over the next several years and then they just shut down. They leased the fields out to a select group for several years, then that group left.”
Pruitt said that part of the park became an eyesore that was not being taken care of. Homeless people moved into the outbuildings, and it was becoming a police and code issue for the city.
“In 2019, I asked if we could get the property, demo the fields and outbuildings, then develop it into something else,” she said.
Pruitt said initially the hope was to put in a large baseball/soccer complex, but it was cost prohibitive in the long run, so the city looked at other options.
Fishing a big request
“We reviewed our master plan and surveys from our residents and found that fishing was a big request,” she said.
So, the idea was born to put in a fishing pond with nature trails and an amphitheater to make it an outdoor event center. The city applied for a grant with Texas Parks and Wildlife in 2020 — then COVID hit.
“The grant was awarded in 2021, and we’ve been through some serious budget challenges to get to where we are today,” she said.
Cost for the project is approximately $4 million, of which $750,000 is a matching grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife.
The park and disc golf course will be closed during construction, including the disc golf course. It is expected to reopen in the spring of 2025, with a grand opening celebration planned for May or June.
More than a park
Pruitt and Phelps agree the renovated park will be more than a place for residents to visit, relax and enjoy an escape. While it will indeed be all of that, both believe it will also impact the city and area economically.
“I believe this will be a game changer and will bring services and opportunities to our residents — and many folks from surrounding areas,” Pruitt said. “It will be a great economic driver and is a big piece of the booming development in Haltom City along the 820 corridor.”
To which Phelps added: “Parks are critical to urban and suburban areas because they provide greenspace and an outlet for needed outdoor activity. Things like great schools, convenient location, accessible amenities and park land are all key factors when attracting quality economic development.”
