Fort Worth City Council to vote on $140M master plan for Gateway Park

City Council to vote on $140M Gateway Park master plan

Fort Worth City Council will vote Tuesday on the future of a new master plan that would provide a number of upgrades to Gateway Park.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth City Council will vote on Tuesday on whether to endorse a new master plan for Gateway Park, the largest park in the city.

Micah Malone has been coming to the park since he was a kid.

As an adult, he and his buddies frequent the park's disc golf course.

"This is where I come pretty much every day in the summer, because it's got the best shade around," Malone said.

The nearly 800-acre park could soon undergo a multi-million dollar renovation.

The city's Parks and Recreation Department has come up with a master plan after soliciting feedback from residents and park users.

"It's kind of like putting a new face on Gateway Park. So now we're starting with the blank canvas. I think the site is now ready for the city to start investing in it significantly," said Scott Penn, Senior Capital Projects Officer with the Fort Worth Parks and Recreation Department.

The estimated price for the master plan is $140 million.

Fort Worth considers plan to upgrade Gateway Park

The largest park in Fort Worth could be in line for a major upgrade with a vote by the city council. FOX 4's Tisia Muzinga reports live from Gateway Park with a look at the new master plan.

Penn says his department has $8 million allocated for Phase One from a 2022 bond program that was approved by voters.

A Tarrant Regional Water District Bond Program will provide $6.6 million, for a total of $14.6 million.

That leaves a big gap that Penn says could be closed with public-private partnerships.

"One of the places we need to advocate more for is parks and rec," said Pastor Kyev Tatum, who represents District 6 on the Parks and Rec Advisory Board.

Tatum calls the master plan for Gateway Park a "game changer" for the community.

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"That's one of the things that struck me as being so valuable is that it will have something for everyone," he said.

The plan builds upon several features of the park.

It would expand the popular disc golf course and dog park, plus create a mountain biking hub.

Long term, there are new features, including a viewing platform at the highest elevation in the park, a boardwalk, splash pad and skate park, just to name a few.

Micah Malone is thrilled.

"I enjoy this park a lot, so the more improvements they do, the better quality of people we get around," Malone said.

If approved by council and the current timeline remains in place, construction for Phase One would start in March 2026 and last about a year.