New Playgrounds Coming Summer 2024

⚠️The playground area in the central portion of Bicentennial Park is currently closed⚠️ to allow for the installation of new equipment and awnings. We expect the central park playground to be open by early April. After that, work will begin on the north park. Watch our newsletter for details about the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for this project.

The playground at the north portion will remain open until work is complete in the central park. Ideally, older kids would not normally play on the north playground, which is designed for younger ages. During this transition, however, we understand that a wide range of ages might be in the playground area together at any given time. Please help us remind any older children in your group to be extra careful when younger ones are present. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as our staff and contractors make these updates.

Bicentennial Park Bond Package

The Pantego Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), authorized by voters in 1993 and funded via a portion of sales tax revenues, recently paid off all outstanding debt and has now made the decision to issue Tax Notes to provide for upgrades to Bicentennial Park. When projects are capital improvements designed to last for decades, they are often funded via debt issuances. This prevents placing the total burden of the improvements on current taxpayers and, instead, distributes the debt among all taxpayers who will enjoy the benefits now and in the coming years. 

As many in our community are aware, the existing playgrounds, turf, and sunshades have reached the end of their useful life and are now in various stages of disrepair – as is the fencing around the creek. 

Proposed upgrades to Bicentennial Park include:

• new playground structures and turf underlay for both the north and central portions of Bicentennial Park
• new aluminum awnings to replace fabric sunshades
• the addition of two picnic pavilion awnings (each 30' x 30') near the splash pad – one of which is expected to be reservable
• replacement of wood fencing along the creek with more durable wood-textured concrete two-railed fencing
• the addition of two pickleball courts near the existing sand volleyball court in the central portion of the park (proposed by staff but not yet approved by the PEDC Board)

For these projects, the PEDC issued $1.3m in Tax Notes to fund capital improvements to Bicentennial Park. This debt will be repaid via existing sales tax revenue and will, therefore, not directly impact taxpayers. Now that funding is dedicated, staff will begin applying for grants to finance portions of these projects. Though grant money is certainly not being relied upon, if any is awarded, it would free up some of the issued debt to be used to further improve the park.

The addition of pickleball courts has not yet been decided upon by the PEDC Board. All other items have been approved to move forward. Work on the playgrounds is expected to begin in February with the central portion of the park (areas 1 and 2 below) and then move to the north playground (area 3). Staff hopes to get as much of the playground work completed during winter as possible, so they will be ready in early summer of 2024. Fencing replacement will begin following "A Pantego Christmas" and should be completed before the next Community Relations Board (CRB) event at Bicentennial – "Eggcellent Easter". The Farmer's Market will continue to hold monthly events, as usual.