Website Manager

San Benito Parks & Recreation

News Detail

18

Jun, 2018

San Benito receives $314,780 in TPW park grant!

The City of San Benito has won a $314,780 non-urban outdoor grant for its South Park Project from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. 
With the grant award, the project’s budget climbs to $944,340 for the park development which will fund construction of a splash pad, multi-use trail, exercise equipment, playground, concession area, restrooms, picnic tables, lighted soccer fields, barbecue pits, solar lighting, screen planting, hydromulching, fine grading, irrigation, and signage.
The trail will be configured to allow for walking, jogging or biking trail.
The park will be located at 1151 S. Sam Houston Blvd., adjacent to Fire Station No. 1.
“We are grateful to the Mayor and City Commission for their support of this much-needed recreational facility in San Benito. This park will be the first-city owned park south of the expressway, in an area that will now feature quality facilities for our citizens there,” said Parks Director Art Garza. 
Infrastructure, including installation of water and sewer lines, has been completed on the designated 12.5 acres of land, according to Garza. 
The City has spent about $100,000 in City Community Development Block Grant funds to-date on the project.
“The City earlier received a Legacy Foundation grant of $494,755 for development of the park. The Legacy Foundation grant will be used to match the TPWD grant,” Garza said.
Additional funding sources for the new park include $104,864 from the City’s General Fund budget, $20,000 from Community Development Block Grant and $11,400 from in-kind services including, Cameron County Master Gardeners, Keep San Benito Beautiful and the Parks & Recreation Board, bringing the total to $944,340.
The City Commission has approved an agreement with Heffner Design Team, a landscape architect to design what will be the City’s newest park.
Garza told officials that he was ready to move the project forward, with hopes that the entire project will be completed by year’s end.
The $314,780 grant to San Benito is a part of just over $8 million in competitive local park grants to help fund projects that will create and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities like nature trails, native gardens, playgrounds, splash pads, dog parks and sports fields at 26 community parks across the State of Texas.
The grants, allocated to local government entities, appropriate state and federal funding dedicated for the acquisition and/or development of public recreation areas and facilities in Texas on a 50/50 reimbursement match basis. Once funded, all grant assisted sites must be dedicated as parkland in perpetuity, properly maintained and open to the public.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission, which administers the local parks grant program for the State of Texas, awarded projects in various categories based on community population size and scope. Urban Outdoor Recreation Grants are reserved for cities having populations exceeding 500,000, with projects in two communities receiving grants. The Non-Urban Outdoor Recreation Grants are dedicated to funding park projects in municipalities under 500,000 and the commission approved awards to projects in 14 communities.

Field Status

Closed Closed

Stookey Park (03:38 PM | 07/13/18)

Open Open

Field 3 (11:29 AM | 09/26/23)

Open Open

field 4 (03:15 PM | 01/24/24)

Closed Closed

Falligant Park (03:38 PM | 07/13/18)

Open Open

First Responder's Community Park (03:59 PM | 07/28/22)

Open Open

Field 1 (03:36 PM | 12/13/22)

Open Open

Field 2 (03:36 PM | 12/13/22)

Open Open

Field 3 (03:36 PM | 12/13/22)

Open Open

Field 4 (11:24 AM | 05/09/23)