AMERICAN LEGION PARK REVITALIZATION

3621 Golf Dr, 77018

The Friends of American Legion Park are committed to ensuring that this park represents the communities it serves and is sustained as a destination for visitors from surrounding communities. Together with Houston Parks Board, the Friends of American Legion Park raised funds for a master plan for the park’s development.

The Master Plan identifies a vision for the park’s improvement, provides insight into how those improvements can be phased, and creates momentum so that people want to contribute to the master plan’s success.

For the master plan, Houston Parks Board served as the project manager, and Talley Landscape Architects, Inc. served as the landscape architecture firm. All master plan efforts were coordinated with the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

If you are a resident, a nearby business owner, or just interested in helping with seeing the master plan come to life, join Friends of American Legion Park by emailing ALPfriendscommittee@gmail.com.

FUNDRAISING

Any donation can help! To donate by check, include “American Legion Park” in the memo and mail the check to:

Houston Parks Board, 300 N. Post Oak Lane, Houston, TX 77024 You can also donate online using the form near the bottom of this webpage.

Click here to donate

MASTER PLAN PROCESS

The first step of the master planning effort was to identify, evaluate, and consider the park’s current facilities, conditions, natural qualities, constraints, and opportunities. Outreach to stakeholders and community members was critical to the master plan process.

Over the course of six months, from September 2023 to February 2024, the design team and Friends of American Legion Park hosted two events, an outdoor gathering, and a community meeting, to first gather community input and then present master plan concepts.

GOALS OF MASTER PLAN

Create a master plan to guide future development that builds upon past efforts
Integrate park improvements to support and expand existing neighborhood partnerships
Identify a diverse set of park improvements that are beneficial to all
Develop a design that captures the community’s vision and meets the long-term needs of the neighborhood
Increase safety and security at the park

MASTER PLAN CONCEPTS

Two concepts for the master plan were presented to the community.

Master plan concepts 1 and 2 proposed improvements to the softball field and shifting its location slightly further into the park to allow for a loop trail, as well as adding a plaza near the playground for pavement games like hopscotch and 4-square.

Concept 1 further proposed a wide, shallow detention basin to allow for activities in the bottom, a berm to provide seating overlooking the softball outfield, and a new, separate swing area. Shade tree plantings were also shown along the loop trail and throughout the park.

Concept 2 was more conservative, with a compact, deeper detention basin and new play equipment confined to the current playground curb area. This concept proposed reforestation/screening plantings along the south and west fences to provide a buffer between the park and adjacent commercial and railroad property.

FINAL MASTER PLAN

The community ultimately favored Concept One. This design renovates the popular existing amenities and builds on the park’s appeal with loop trails and playground expansion. Additionally, community-requested pollinator and rain gardens, along with robust native tree planting, have been proposed.

American Legion Park Master Plan

UPCOMING COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND EVENTS

All meetings and events in support of the development of the master plan have been completed!

Friends of American Legion Park will be hosting committee meetings and community fundraising events for the revitalization of the park. Please be sure to follow “Friends of American Legion Park” on Facebook and Instagram so you do not miss out on the fun!

PREVIOUS COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Fall in Love with American Legion Park Master Plan Gathering

On Sunday, October 15, 2023, Houston Parks Board and Friends of American Legion Park coordinated with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department to host a family-friendly open house to gather feedback on the park’s master plan.

The open house featured free tree giveaways from Trees for Houston, STEM activities for children to design their own park, questionnaires related to the park’s existing uses, and free snacks and refreshments.

View the open house summary here.

American Legion Park Pizza Party and Master Plan Sneak Peek

On Thursday, February 1, 2024, Houston Parks Board and Friends of American Legion Park coordinated with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department to host a community meeting at the American Legion Post for the community and park users to view a “sneak peek” of the master plan.

Two concepts were displayed for public input at the meeting, which had over 120 attendees.

View the community meeting summary here.

Master Plan Concept Feedback Survey

Following the community meeting, the master plan partners decided to conduct a survey to capture input from those who could not attend and those who did attend but did not provide feedback at that time.

The survey asked which master plan concept people preferred or if they preferred a combination of the two concepts. View the survey feedback here.