Texas Parks Set For Major Upgrades By 2028

Big changes are on the horizon for Texas parks, as two major cities—Fort Worth and San Antonio—gear up for ambitious new projects fueled by millions in state and local funding. On January 31, 2026, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission announced a fresh round of grants, awarding a combined $21.1 million to communities across the state. Among the recipients are Fort Worth’s Oak Grove Community Park and San Antonio’s Pearsall Park, each set to receive $1.5 million for transformative outdoor amenities.

For Fort Worth, this marks a significant milestone in a journey that began over a decade ago. Oak Grove Community Park, a nearly 68-acre expanse in south Fort Worth, was first acquired by the city in 2015. For eight years, the land sat untouched, its potential unrealized despite persistent calls from local residents to prioritize its development. That changed in 2022, when voters approved a sweeping $123.9 million bond package dedicated to parks and recreation improvements, with Oak Grove among the highlighted beneficiaries.

Now, thanks to back-to-back $1.5 million matching grants from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, the vision for Oak Grove is finally coming into focus. According to a city news release cited by the Fort Worth Report, the latest grant will fund a wide array of amenities: trails winding through native plants and grasses, updated signage, pavilions for gatherings, modern playgrounds, sports fields and courts, and expanded parking. There’s a catch, though—the city must provide a one-to-one match for the grant, a requirement city leaders are prepared to meet thanks to the earlier bond approval and last year’s matching grant from the state.

Construction at Oak Grove is expected to begin in the fall of 2026, with assistant park and recreation department director Joel McElhany estimating about a year of work before the public can enjoy the new amenities. That puts the anticipated completion date squarely in 2027. McElhany credits the state grants with helping turn Oak Grove Community Park from a long-standing community aspiration into a soon-to-be reality. "The grants have been instrumental in making Oak Grove possible," McElhany told officials, as reported by the Fort Worth Report.

Oak Grove is just one piece of a broader effort to enhance Fort Worth’s public spaces. In November 2025, City Council members approved a $12,000 donation from a local nonprofit to install security lights along the bike trail circling North Z. Boaz Park, aiming to improve safety for evening visitors. The previous month, the city completed a dredging project at Foster Park, designed to improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat. The city celebrated the restoration of Foster Park’s ponds with a community event on November 4, 2025.

These projects are guided by Fort Worth’s newest parks and recreation master plan, known as GREENprint. Adopted in May 2025, the plan was developed in response to the city’s rapid growth and the increasing demand for accessible green spaces. As McElhany explained to city officials last year, the goal is to create a more connected system of parks, open spaces, and trails, while also partnering with property owners to preserve green spaces amid ongoing development. "There’s a real need for parks as the city grows," McElhany emphasized, underscoring the forward-looking nature of the GREENprint plan.

Meanwhile, in San Antonio, excitement is building over a different kind of park project—one that promises to put the city on the map for cycling enthusiasts across the region. Pearsall Park, a sprawling 505-acre green space near Lackland Air Force Base, is set to receive a $3.4 million BMX-style bicycle course, with construction slated to begin in late 2027 and wrap up by late 2028. The announcement, made on January 31, 2026, marks a major investment in recreational infrastructure for the city’s South Side.

Pearsall Park’s transformation is a story in itself. Once a landfill, the site was converted into a community green space in 2017, and now boasts a dog park, soccer fields, disc golf, and ample open areas. The new BMX-style course will add an entirely new dimension to the park’s offerings. Designed for BMX, mountain, and recumbent bikes, the track will stretch roughly 1,150 feet, feature eight lanes, and span three acres. Riders can look forward to slopes, paved surfacing with ADA accessible starting gates, and a series of riding challenges—jumps, rollers, and banked curves included.

The project is being funded through a combination of a $1.5 million Local Park Urban Outdoor Grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and $1.9 million from San Antonio’s 2022 Bond Program. That bond, passed by 64% of voters as Proposition C, earmarked $272 million for 82 parks, recreation, and open space improvement projects across the city. City officials are optimistic about the impact. "We anticipate this track will be a top destination for local cyclists and visitors," said Homer Garcia III, San Antonio Parks and Recreation director, in a statement reported by the San Antonio Report.

City Councilman Edward Mungia echoed the enthusiasm, noting that Pearsall Park “is finally getting the respect it deserves” as a premier park in San Antonio. He pointed to the city’s substantial biking community and the excitement surrounding the new track. Mungia added that the course is designed to be inclusive, with features that accommodate riders of varying abilities. "People are excited about the new bike track," he remarked, highlighting the community’s anticipation for the project’s completion.

Both Fort Worth and San Antonio’s park projects reflect a broader trend: Texas cities are investing in outdoor spaces not just as amenities, but as essential infrastructure for growing, diverse communities. These investments are made possible by a combination of state grants, local bond measures, and, at times, private donations. They also underscore the importance of public input—voters in both cities played a direct role in approving the funding that made these projects possible.

As construction timelines move forward—Oak Grove’s amenities expected by 2027 and Pearsall Park’s BMX course by late 2028—residents of both cities can look forward to new opportunities for recreation, community gathering, and connection to nature. Whether it’s a family picnic in a revitalized park, a game on a new sports field, or the thrill of a BMX jump, the future of Texas parks is looking brighter—and busier—than ever.

With state and local leaders working together, and communities voicing clear support for green spaces, these projects stand as testaments to what’s possible when public investment meets public passion.