Marble Falls lands TPWD grant for Westside Park improvements; inclusive playground included
Westside Park in Marble Falls will be the site of an inclusive playground and other big improvements with the recent acquisition of a $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant. File photo
Marble Falls recently received a $750,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for major upgrades to Westside Park. The grant greenlights a host of improvements, including the construction of a long-awaited inclusive playground.
“The investment in Westside Park represents our commitment to creating inclusive, accessible, and sustainable recreational spaces for our community,” Lacey Dingman, director of Marble Falls Parks and Recreation, wrote in a Jan. 23 media release. “This grant allows us to move forward with improvements that will benefit residents of all ages and abilities for generations to come.”
Westside Park is a 13-acre park at the intersection of 2nd Street and Avenue Q. Current features include a dog park, basketball courts, disc golf, playgrounds, a pavilion, hike-and-bike trail, and more.
The improvements are in the design phase according to the city and work will begin once that phase is completed.
The new improvements include:
- Construction of an inclusive playground
- Parking lot improvements
- Interbank trail upgrades and enhancements
- Expansion and renovation of restroom facilities
The grant is just one piece of a $3.35 million funding puzzle assembled by the city and its partners to move forward with Westside Park improvements.
- $2 million comes from city funding
- $600,000 comes from private donors
- $750,000 from the TPWD grant
One of the greatest changes to the park will be the inclusive playground, dubbed Wyatt’s Clubhouse. The playscape will be designed to meet the needs of children of all ability levels. The project was spearheaded by the Marble Falls Inclusive Play Group, which has been raising funds and advocating for the playscape since 2022.