Title
Discuss proposed park amenities and cost estimates associated with the Squire Park Development.
Body
REQUESTOR:
Councilmember Omar Roman
BACKGROUND:
The City of Farmers Branch continues to advance its commitment to enhancing public amenities, providing high-quality amenities, promoting community engagement, and ensuring equitable access to recreation across all neighborhoods. Building on the approach used with Mercer Park, the Parks and Recreation Department conducted a community engagement program to better understand local priorities for the redevelopment of Squire Park.
As part of this effort, the Parks and Recreation Department initiated targeted community engagement from April 15 to June 27, 2025, specifically focused on gathering input for the redevelopment of Squire Park. This approach mirrored the successful outreach strategy previously employed for Mercer Park, where broad resident input helped guide the City’s investment decisions. The Squire Park outreach effort included multiple opportunities for residents to participate, including an online survey, a virtual community meeting, and two in-person sessions held at Vivian Field Middle School and at Squire Park itself. A total of 149 online survey responses were received, with 99 individuals signing up across the three public meetings: 13 attending the online session, 11 at Vivian Field Middle School, and more than 75 at the on-site park event. It is essential to note that in several cases, one participant may have represented a household, meaning the number of residents represented is likely higher than the number reflected in sign-in totals.
Community feedback consistently identified a walking trail, a splash pad, and playground upgrades as the most highly desired improvements. Additional input also highlighted secondary interest in shaded pavilion space and lighting improvements, while the addition of a basketball court received moderate but less significant support.
On August 19, 2025, staff presented these findings to the City Council. During the discussion, Council Members expressed support for prioritizing walking trail and playground improvements, emphasizing alignment with resident priorities and the importance of maximizing the long-term use and community value of the park. The council further directed staff to return with cost estimates for a menu of potential amenity options, allowing for flexibility in amenity selection within the available $1,000,000 project budget.
DISCUSSION:
In response to the Council’s direction, staff have developed a set of cost estimates for the principal amenities identified during community engagement and reviewed by the City Council. Based on current industry standards, the cost of staff has researched pricing for key amenities. Please note that this menu only provides cost estimates for specific amenities. Design, engineering, and other construction costs are not included in the menu items.
The following items were reviewed and considered:
Amenity Estimated Cost
Trail $200,000
Splash Pad $200,000
Playground Updates $500,000 (w/playground surfacing and shade for playground)
Pavilion $100,000
Lighting $100,000
Basketball Court $100,000
Turf-soccer $250,000
Parking (12 spots) $100,000
Design/Engineering $150,000
Demo/Utilities/Grading $175,000
Contingency $100,000 (10% of $1,000,000)
Following the Council’s discussion and direction at this meeting, staff will initiate procurement of design services to prepare a comprehensive concept plan for Squire Park. This plan will incorporate the selected amenities, refine cost estimates, and establish an implementation timeline. Once complete, the concept plan will be returned to the Council for review and approval before proceeding with construction.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Squire Park redevelopment project is supported by a total budget allocation of $1,000,000. Final expenditure will depend on the combination of amenities selected by the City Council. Staff will ensure that design proposals remain within this allocation and will explore opportunities for cost efficiencies where feasible.
DISTRICT:
District 1
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Presentation