Edmond accepts $100,000 TSET grant to renovate Hayford Park activity area

The Edmond City Council voted 5–0 on May 11 to accept a $100,000 TSET Healthy Community Incentive grant, with a $25,000 local match funded from park tax, to renovate amenities at Hayford Park.

Christy Batterson, director of housing and community resources, said the grant will pay for removing a wood stage that has deteriorated beyond repair, installing ADA-accessible sidewalks into the activity area, adding crushed-granite seating and landscaping, and creating low-cost recreational features such as horseshoes and other yard games. Batterson said the money covers removal of the stage and design work; the parks board will review conceptual designs, and the work must be completed by April 2027.

Council members said they support accepting the grant and that public input via the parks board and future meetings should shape the final design. One councilor noted TSET funds are not typically available for rebuilding large performance stages, but members left open the possibility of studying a separate stage project funded through other means.

Why it matters: The grant delivers external funding for neighborhood park improvements and addresses an identified safety hazard (the decaying stage). It also creates a defined timeline and a public-design process through the parks board.

Next steps: Parks staff will present conceptual drawings and solicit public feedback at the parks board meeting; staff will proceed with design and contract steps to meet the April 2027 expenditure deadline.