Marble Falls OKs $220,000 to finish work at Childers Park
The parking lot at Childers Park, 1310 Broadway in Marble Falls, is the final step in a year-long renovation project. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
The Marble Falls City Council approved about $220,000 to complete renovations at Childers Park, 1310 Broadway, during a regular meeting on Dec. 6. The money will be used to pave the ballpark’s dirt parking lot, increasing its capacity to 50 cars. Sidewalks and curbs will also be added.
Renovations to Childers Park were first discussed during work on the city’s capital improvement plan in 2019. Initially, improvements included only the parking lot. Then, Marble Falls Parks and Recreation Director Lacey Dingman decided the entire ballpark needed work.
“Access to the facility, as well as the bathroom and concession stand, was not (American Disability Act) compliant,” she said. “And the overall degradation of the facility was making it inefficient and difficult to maintain.”
Park renovations began in January 2022. The lengthy list of improvements include a new irrigation system, renovations to the concession stand and bathrooms, new fencing, and a sidewalk connection to the trail system that leads to The Greens soccer complex. Other components, such as new foul poles, bases, shade structures, and bleachers, were also a part of the park’s improvements. The department plans for new scoreboards to be installed in the near future.
Once fully complete, the ballpark’s sizable makeover should total roughly $700,000.
With the litany of new renovations, Dingman is excited to invite fans to the improved ballpark.
“Childers Park has served the community for many years, and we are extremely happy we were able to invest in a renovation for our families,” she said. “In the past, volunteer groups have taken on the lion’s share of the work for making improvements to the fields, and we hope they are as happy as us to be able to enjoy the park in its restored state.”
Currently, the project is about 3 percent under budget. If the trend holds, the parks department might be able to add amenities, including new fencing, landscaping, park benches, or new appliances inside the concession stand.
As the Childers Park improvements conclude, the Parks and Recreation Department plans to shift its focus in 2023 to new projects such as Park View Park and the sports complex at Thunder Rock, a development underway at the corner of Texas 71 and U.S. 281 in south Marble Falls.
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