Haltom City reclaims North Park for the local community
North Park in Haltom City, Texas, is getting an upgrade. After some issues occurred in the park, and with a great deal of future pipeline development planned for the area, now was the perfect time for a renovation.
Construction began on park amenities last year. The grand opening of the new park took place on June 7 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Previously, North Park was about 30 acres in size. A resident donated the front 10 to 11 acres years ago to the Northeast Optimist Club for a baseball complex, but in 2008, the park experienced a large flood, which put those ball fields completely underwater.
“It took a long time to get them back up and running and the teams struggled to bring their players back,’’ Christi Pruitt, director of parks and recreation, explained. “A few small groups tried to keep up with the maintenance, but it became a blight. Homeless and drug users took over the outbuildings, and it was a police and code enforcement nightmare. It kept people from enjoying the actual park.”
In 2018, Haltom City acquired the property and then demolished the ballfield complex and outbuildings.
In order to begin the updates, protocol was followed by contractors and the design team for all necessary city and state permitting. Since the park is in a floodplain, some additional permitting and testing was required. This was also necessary, since a body of water was being added to the park.
“We have a 10-year parks and open space master plan,” Pruitt described. “Which involved gathering and compiling a lot of data and feedback from residents and user groups. Developing the master plan is a lengthy process but gives us a bit of a roadmap for future development as well as replacement schedules for equipment and amenities.” The information gathered from this master plan was used to help choose the new amenities to be added to North Park.
For Pruitt, the North Park renovations have been the largest project she has been involved in.
“No project is perfect, and each one has its own challenges,” she admitted. “The biggest challenges with this project have been budget and timeline. When we applied for the grant in 2019, it was supposed to be awarded in spring of 2020, but COVID happened. It was awarded in 2021, and at that time, we were facing rising costs on materials and labor shortages.
“We got the maximum number of extensions from Texas Parks and Wildlife, then had to get moving. The market settled a little, and prices seemed to steady, but were still significantly higher than pre-COVID. We had to get very creative to build a park with all of the amenities, but a smaller budget and compressed timeline.”
The contractor, Fort Worth Civil Constructors, was able to overcome and deal with all of the issues that arose, acting as a great partner for the city.
A large portion of the funding for the project came from a $750,000 matching grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Additional funding came from certificates of obligation, or CO bonds, and general obligation bond funds.
With the grant, Haltom City had to complete all the amenities and request reimbursement by April 30, a deadline that was met. All fixes and finishing touches were subsequently completed. The ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of North Park also celebrated the city’s 75th anniversary and included food trucks, giveaways, booths and family entertainment.
“North Park will be the destination park in Haltom City,” Pruitt stated. “A fishing pond is a great way to bring family and friends together to make special memories. We have a great walking trail around the beautiful pond and an amphitheater that will host great bands, movies, concerts and so much more. We have a new playground and a great open green space for all to enjoy. It will be the place for all kinds of events to bring the community together, from small fishing events to weddings to multiday festivals with big name bands.
“North Park will bring people from all over to get a little taste of what Haltom City has to offer,” she added. “We have the H Mart development just west, up Hwy. 820, and new hotels, restaurants and entertainment options. Haltom City is definitely shaking things up and building some incredible fun this side of the metroplex.”
No1: One of the challenges in renovating the park was the addition of a fishing pond when the property is already located in a floodplain. However, with some additional testing and permitting, the fishing pond will be a great place for families and visitors to make memories. (Photo provided by the Haltom City Parks and Recreation Department) No2: Finishing touches were just completed on the renovated North Park. This was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony combined with a celebration for the city’s 75th anniversary. There is a new playground, green space and amphitheater. (Photo provided by the Haltom City Parks and Recreation Department) 
No3: North Park had previously been approximately 30 acres, which was home to a baseball complex and outbuildings. In 2008, it was flooded and took a while to get back up and running, but proved difficult to maintain. Eventually it became a large problem for police and code enforcement. (Photo provided by the Haltom City Parks and Recreation Department) 
No4: Haltom City finally acquired the property in 2018 and had to demolish the baseball complex and outbuildings. Plans for future renovations and improvements could then begin. (Photo provided by the Haltom City Parks and Recreation Department)
