Lewisville outlines $27.2 million plan to reimagine Vista Ridge Park, seeks $2 million from donors

City staff told the Lewisville City Council that a reimagined Vista Ridge Park and amphitheater will prioritize accessibility, flood resilience and ecological stewardship and carries a preliminary cost estimate of roughly $27,200,000.

The proposal, presented during a council meeting update, traces planning back to a 2018 park master-plan update and a 2020 site master plan that council previously endorsed. Staff said the park — built in the 1990s and long underused because of drainage and pump failures — requires substantial reinvestment to address persistent flooding, maintenance burdens and accessibility shortfalls.

Staff described a multi-part vision that preserves the amphitheater, adds accessible playground elements and a splash pad, reconfigures sports fields to include a rectangular pitch (while retaining diamond capacities), and creates a wetland-pond to manage stormwater. The design emphasizes inclusive features such as 0-depth entry play elements, boardwalks and sensory gardens intended for use by children with a range of abilities. "Everyone's gonna wanna play here," staff said, summarizing the intended broad appeal.

Why it matters: staff argued the design converts recurring flooding and ecological constraints into features that improve stormwater capture, expand recreational uses and create educational opportunities. The wetland/pond element, staff said, could make the project competitive for grants from Texas Parks and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, while also appealing to corporate partners interested in ecosystem investments.

Cost, approvals and phasing: staff gave a preliminary budget of about $27,200,000 and cautioned that escalation risks remain. Because parts of the site lie in a waterway, the project will require U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review and approval, staff said. To manage cost risk and procurement complexity, they recommended retaining an owner's representative, identifying phased scopes that can be built separately and considering a construction-manager-at-risk delivery model.

Funding strategies: staff outlined a mixed funding approach — pursuing state and federal grants, redeploying savings from other bond-program projects (including identified Castle Hill Trails savings), and evaluating possible use of 4B sales-tax cash or an additional bond sale. The Lewisville Park Alliance, a nonprofit partner, originally pledged a $1,000,000 campaign but told staff it will instead pursue $2,000,000 under a 60/30/10 fundraising framework; staff asked council if they were comfortable entering a separate agreement authorizing the alliance to solicit and steward donations.

Council reaction and safeguards: a council member urged caution about donor naming and political polarization, asking staff to use the city's naming policy and legal review to set naming guardrails. "I do get a little bit concerned with the political polarization... that's something that's named for somebody who winds up being divisive," the council member said, urging limits on personal or politically sensitive recognition.

Community testimony: a longtime advocate recounted local efforts to create accessible sports for children with disabilities, saying the Miracle League and predecessor Challenger programs were formed because there was no accessible facility in Lewisville. "These kids deserve a place," the advocate said, urging the council to support a state-of-the-art, accessible field and play area.

Next steps: staff said they will finalize the Ampere contract, start an RFQ process and prepare construction documents, take council feedback into the design, and target a construction kickoff in late 2027 while continuing community engagement. No formal vote was recorded on the funding framework during the update; staff sought council guidance on partnering with the Lewisville Park Alliance and on proceeding with phased implementation.

The City Council recessed for a short break after the presentation and public testimony.