Round Rocker: Parks and Recreation 411 : Parks Development

Somerset and Chisholm Valley Park get huge makeovers!

Roger Heaney — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:28:00 GMT

The Round Rock City Council hosted two ribbon cuttings to rededicate Somerset and Chisholm Valley Park and the community came out to celebrate. The City Council approved $625,000 in 2012 as part of the Repair and Replacement Program to revitalize community parks and facilities throughout Round Rock. This program is also part of the City Council’s overall Neighborhood Revitalization Program. The City’s Parks Development Division has been steadily revitalizing various parks throughout the community collaborating with neighborhoods to ensure local resident’s needs are met.

The $241,000 renovation at Somerset Park located at 1814 Taron Cove include a new playground, concrete trail, shade structure, site furnishings (picnic tables, benches, drinking fountains) and basketball court.
Watch the video below:

The $334,406 renovation at Chisholm Valley Park located at 1201 Tray St. include new playgrounds, shade structure, ½ mile of concrete and granite trail, multipurpose recreation field, site furnishings (picnic tables, benches, drinking fountains) and trees.
Watch the video below:

Check out the photos here.

Other parks that have been revitalized this year were Rock Hollow Park located at 1415 Apollo Circle that received a $128,388 face lift including the installation of a ½ mile of concrete trails and various ADA accessibility improvements.

Settlement Park located at 1401 David Curry Loop received a $141,643 remodel that included a new playscape, concrete trails, retaining wall, privacy fencing, shade structure, pond aerator, ADA accessibility improvements and new trees.

Buck Egger Park located at 900 S. Mays, with the use of $430,711 from the US House and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant funding (CDBG), now includes a new parking lot, a new synthetic turf multipurpose field (the first ever in the City) and a new grass multipurpose field.

Other community parks that will be revitalized this year include Kensington Park located at 1000 Southcreek Dr. and Mesa Village Park located at 1401 Georgetown St.

Round Rock residents can get all the latest online parks development updates at the Parks Development Blog. There, residents can find project expected completion dates, amenities and watch videos showing the progress of all the parks development projects.

Parks Development Updates Issue #5

Roger Heaney — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:25:00 GMT

Settlement Park: Project completed.
Take a look at the completed project:

Play for All Abilities Park
Status: Under Construction (70% complete)
Est. Completion: January 2012

Park Amenities: park for children and adults of all abilities, including Large Playscape Pod, Retreat Pod, Rock Band Pod, Sensory Pod, Swing Area, and Village Pod. Each pod was designed specifically with children with disabilities in mind to ensure the pods offered valuable developmental, social, and recreation opportunities for children of all abilities.

Current Project Progress:

90% of concrete work is completed
Playground equipment for Large Playscape Pod, Sensory Play Pod, and Swing Area is installed
Poured-in-place surfacing to be installed in mid-December
Trees to be planted mid-December
Fence installation to start late December

Buck Egger Park
Status: Construction (50% complete)
Est. Completion: February 2012

Park Amenities: parking lot, synthetic turf multipurpose field, and grass multipurpose field

Current Project Progress:

Parking lot and sidewalk complete
Chemical stabilization near completion
Synthetic turf field scheduled to be completed by end of year
Natural grass field scheduled to be completed by mid-January

Rock Hollow Park
Status: Construction (80% complete)
Est. Completion: January 2012

Park Amenities: +/- ½ mile of concrete trail replacing existing asphalt trail, ADA accessibility improvements

Current Project Progress:

Approx. 80% of concrete trail installed
Construction should be complete by Christmas
Tree planting tentatively scheduled for January

Clay Madsen Recreation Center
Check out the final improvements to the center:

Municipal Office Complex (MOC) Plaza
Status: Under Design (delayed due to re-design of Brown/Florence Street Improvements)
Est. Completion: Design – November 2011
Construction – August/September 2012

Park Amenities: concrete plaza, performance lawn, areas designed for street festivals, “pillars of the community”, secondary performance stage/shade structure, amphitheater overlook/bat viewing area, improvements to amphitheater, electrical system for street festivals, landscape areas, Brown/Florence Street Improvements, MOC parking lot improvements

Current Project Progress:

95% plans completed, awaiting re-design of Brown/Florence Street
TCEQ WPAP revision to be submitted in January/February timeframe, 3-4 month review

Rabb Park/Brushy Creek Trail Restroom Building
Status: Construction
Est. Completion: January 2012

Park Amenities: Building with 3 unisex, accessible restrooms

Current Project Progress:

Site utilities installed
MEP rough-in complete
Slab to be poured next week

OSPV Triple Crown Complex Restroom Building
Status: Construction
Est. Completion: Design – October 2011
Construction – January 2012

Park Amenities: 4-6 stall restroom building, site utilities and sidewalks

Current Project Progress:

Contract awarded by City Council on November 22nd
Construction to start mid-December

Memorial Park Bridge Repair
Status: Construction (75% complete)
Est. Completion: December 2011

Park Amenities: Repair 100’ pedestrian bridge crossing Brushy Creek that was damaged in September 2010 flood

Current Project Progress:

Steel beams and railings have been replaced
Finish welding to be complete next week
Decking to be installed over next two weeks

Somerset Park
Status: Construction (10% Complete)
Est. Completion: February 2012

Park Amenities: renovation of playground, concrete trail, shade structure, site furnishings (picnic tables, benches, drinking fountains) and possible basketball court

Current Project Progress:

Demolition and removal of all existing amenities is complete
Rough grading work underway

Chisholm Valley Park
Status: Construction (15% complete)
Est. Completion: February 2012

Park Amenities: renovation of playground, shade structure, +/- ½ mile of concrete trail, multipurpose rec field, site furnishings (picnic tables, benches, drinking fountains), trees

Current Project Progress:

Demolition and removal of existing amenities complete
Rough grading is underway

Rabb House Redevelopment Project
Status: Design
Est. Completion: Design - Spring 2012

Park Amenities: design and construction documents for the redevelopment of Rabb House (damaged in September 2010 flood)

Current Project Progress:

Architectural agreement finalized and to be authorized at January 12th City Council Meeting

OSPV Reuse Water Project
Status: Design
Est. Completion: Spring 2012

Park Amenities: removal/replacement of existing irrigation system valves, heads, etc. to comply with reuse water requirements. Renovation of existing irrigation system at Lakeview Pavilion area, Football Complex, Cricket Field, etc.

Current Project Progress:

Utility Dept. to start mainline work and point of connections late-December or early January
Compliance repairs and time sensitive renovations tentatively scheduled for January 2012
Major renovations tentatively scheduled for Feb/March 2012

Kensington Greenbelt Improvement Project
Status: Design
Est. Completion: Design - March 2012
Construction – September 2012

Park Amenities: replacement of existing trail, playground, site furnishings and addition of pavilion structure

Mesa Village Improvement Project
Status: Planning
Est. Completion: Design – May 2012
Construction – October 2012

Park Amenities: replace existing asphalt trail with decomposed granite, replace existing pavilion, and improvements to existing multipurpose field

Brushy Creek Regional Trail Gap Project
Status: On-hold
Est. Completion: Spring 2013

Park Amenities: +/- 2.5 miles of Brushy Creek Trail from Sonoma subdivision, across Brushy Creek, connecting to Rabb Park and AW Grimes Blvd multi-use path. Also connects to Greater Lake Creek Trail totaling approx. 7 miles.

Current Project Progress:

R.O.W. acquisition negotiations on-going

Parks Development Updates Issue #2

Roger Heaney — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:25:00 GMT

Construction has continued around town and many projects are coming along quite nicely. As the Parks and Recreation Department has met with community members, new projects have been added to enhance various features around the city.

Chisholm Valley Park
Located in the Chisholm Valley housing development, Chisholm Valley Park spans 3.32 acres and includes a shelter, picnic areas, grills, one playscape, and a practice field. A Public Input Meeting was held on July 13 about the Chisholm Valley Park improvements. Funding is already in place for the removal and replacement of several park amenities. Currently, the focus is on new playground equipment and a walking trail. Pending funding, future plans may also include a multipurpose field, sand volleyball court, and a basketball court.

Rock Hollow Trail
Rock Hollow Park spans 12.52 acres and includes 0.44 miles of trail. Also in the park are picnic areas, grills, and two playscapes. The grounds are located inside the Chandler Creek neighborhood and the amenities offer multiple options for outdoor recreation and play.
A Public Input Meeting was held on July 12 to discuss the improvements to Rock Hollow Trail. The objective of the improvements is to re-align the trail in a few areas to allow for better access to park features and to improve the current intersections and connectivity. Funding is already in place to remove and replace the existing trail throughout the park.

Clay Madsen Recreation Center
The Clay Madsen Recreation Center was closed for part of last month as basketball and racquetball courts as well as floors throughout the building were refurbished. This month, the weight room received an important and state-of-the-art equipment upgrade. The weight room was closed for one week as all of the old equipment and flooring was removed, recycled rubber fitness flooring was added, and brand new equipment from Precor was installed. All of the equipment in the room looks streamlined and modern. As an added bonus, the hallways throughout the building received a finished coat to make them extra shiny. And they finished everything in less time than they had planned!

Play for All Abilities Park
A park designed for children of all ages and abilities – who could have thought of that? A family who has a child with a disability and has had trouble in the past finding a park suitable for their child to play in, that’s who. The Play for All Abilities Park has been designed for children of all abilities to play in side-by-side without hindrance. And construction has already begun!

Construction continues at the park as workers lay down utilities and electrical lines. All the brush has been cleared away from the area and the next project will be grading of the site and earth work.

Main Street Plaza
Lying adjacent to the City Hall building, this construction project is intended to create a friendly, green environment and be family focused. The goal is to bring art and culture together with interactive and imaginative play and education as well as use for rest and relaxation during the day.

The next two weeks will be busy for the workers at the Main Street Plaza site. Scheduled to go up are the stage, shade structure poles, fountain pumps, and art screens. Also in the works are the sidewalks and seats built into the walls for convenient comfort.

MOC Plaza (Municipal Office Complex)
The MOC plaza is located behind the McConico Building and next to the Allen R Baca Center, an area of Round Rock that is largely office and retail. This plaza will create a space for workers to enjoy and relax on breaks and for patrons to use before/after their visits to the surrounding establishments. The MOC Plaza will also provide a place to hold events such as the Juneteenth celebration, music and theater performances, farmers market, etc. Additionally, the plaza could be rented out for family reunions and weddings.

The design plans for the MOC Plaza are 90% completed and awaiting approval. Below is what the plaza should look like when it is completed in Spring of 2012.

Settlement Park
Construction started at Settlement Park on Thursday, July 14. Plans for the park include replacing the playground, trail, and fence and adding a fountain in the pond and a pavilion. This project is funded by the Repair and Replacement Program and Park Development Fund.

Summerset Park
Located near Old Town Meadows and Peach Tree Valley neighborhoods, Summerset Park spans 9.61 acres and includes 0.41 miles of trail, picnic facilities with grills, and a playscape. The playscape looks a little lonely out there, so improvements and additions are in the works.
The plans are 100% completed for Summerset Park and have all been approved. Bidding for the improvements will begin in August.

Buck Egger Park
Near downtown Round Rock, Buck Egger Park has a playscape, swings, and a practice soccer field/football field. The 3.08 acre park is a fun play area for kids throughout the city.

Plans are completed for Buck Egger’s new parking lot and synthetic turf. This project is funded by the commercial Block Grant. Bidding will begin the week of July 25th and construction is scheduled to begin in September.

Triple Crown Complex Restrooms
If you’ve spent much time at the Old Settlers Park baseball fields, you know that the Triple Crown Complex is the only baseball diamond in the park without indoor plumbing. The complex has port-a-cans and there has long been a movement to get them replaced with restrooms. Well, here we go!
Concept designs are complete for the new restrooms at the Triple Crown Complex. Construction will begin soon and the restrooms should be open by the end of the year.

Parks Development Updates Issue #1

Roger Heaney — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:30:00 GMT

Currently, the Parks and Recreation Department has so many construction projects going on that it’s probably hard for everyone to keep up with it all... But we know that you want to!

Every month, this blog will be updated with current information on the different construction projects around town – what’s been going on, what still needs to be done, how close we are to finishing, any changes that have been made to the design along the way, etc. Keep checking back here to stay updated on all the projects that you care about. We'll even offer you video updates on some projects as they are coming along!

Clay Madsen Recreation Center
The Clay Madsen Recreation Center has been under construction lately as different portions of the building get refurbished and revitalized. The floors in the hallways, basketball courts, and racquetball courts were resurfaced so now they are smooth and shiny. New logos were painted on the courts for the City of Round Rock and the Sports Capital of Texas.

The center will be closed for another round of updates on July 9th and 10th. An additional finish coat will be added to the hallway floors and the weight room floors and equipment will be replaced. This is great news as CMRC will have state-of-the-art equipment for your enjoyment once completed.

Play for All Abilities Park
A park designed for children of all ages and abilities – who could have thought of that? A family who has a child with a disability and has had trouble in the past finding a park suitable for their child to play in, that’s who. The Play for All Abilities Park has been designed for children of all abilities to play in side-by-side without hindrance. And construction has already begun!

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Play for All Abilities Park went smoothly, despite the rain, on May 19. Since then, the brush has been cleared away and the utilities and electrical lines have been laid down. The next step in the project is to do some earth work. The Play for All Abilities Park is located at Rabb Park.

Main Street Plaza
Lying adjacent to the City Hall building, this construction project is intended to create a friendly, green environment and be family focused. The goal is to bring art and culture together with interactive and imaginative play and education as well as use for rest and relaxation during the day.

The ground for the plaza has been graded and utilities have been laid. The next steps are to drill piers for the shade structure and begin plumbing work for the interactive water fountain. The plaza is expected to be completed in August 2011.

Check out the Main Street Plaza design (PDF)

MOC Plaza (Municipal Office Complex)
The MOC plaza is located behind the McConico Building and next to the Allen R Baca Center, an area of Round Rock that is largely office and retail. This plaza will create a space for workers to enjoy and relax on breaks and for patrons to use before/after their visits to the surrounding establishments. The MOC Plaza will also provide a place to hold events such as the Juneteenth celebration, music and theater performances, farmers market, etc. Additionally, the plaza could be rented out for family reunions, weddings, etc. There is already an abundance of parking in the area, providing for easy access to the plaza. The design plans for the MOC Plaza have been updated and are approximately 60% finished – including seating, shade, lighting, and art pieces that could be permanent or rotated. Construction is scheduled to start this fall and completed in the spring of 2012.

Check out the MOC Plaza design (PDF)

Settlement Park
This park is already home to a playground, basketball court, and a pond. Over time, however, all things wear down and need some repair or replacing. With the help of the Repair and Replacement Program and the Park Development Fund, Settlement Park is being repaired and updated in order to remain a safe and enjoyable place for children and families. The playground, trail, and fence will be replaced and a fountain will be added to the pond. Also to be added to the park is a pavilion for shade, rest, and relaxation during a busy day of fun. Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2011.

Somerset Park
The design for Somerset Park is 90% completed and will include a playground, a trail, and a small pavilion. Currently, the city is working with Oncor Electric to get approval to begin construction in Oncor’s right-of-way.

Buck Egger Park
Buck Egger Park is already home to a playscape and a practice soccer/football field. Now it’s going to get a little more updated. With the help of Community Development Block Grant Funding, we are installing synthetic turf in the field and putting in a parking lot. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2011.

Triple Crown Complex Restrooms
If you’ve spent much time at the Old Settlers Park baseball fields, you know that the Triple Crown Complex is the only baseball diamond in the park without indoor plumbing. The complex has port-a-cans and there has long been a movement to get them replaced with restrooms. Well, here we go!
We are currently in negotiations with the architect and have plans to begin the project in 6-8 weeks. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2011.