A cherished park in this Fort Worth suburb is getting a big transformation

Since 1996 Katherine Rose Memorial Park in Mansfield has been a source of enjoyment and relaxation for residents young and old. Now, the popular park is about to become this for even more folks.

Rose Park, as it is commonly known, is undergoing renovations that will include an expansion and numerous new amenities. Among these is the reconstruction of the playground to be inclusive.

An inclusive playground is carefully designed to promote play among children of differing abilities, ages and communities. It gives children with and without any disability the same platform to play while breaking down barriers.

“We didn’t want to add a ramp to nothing or have a fenced-off section to separate the amenities,” assistant city manager Vanessa Ramirez said. “This playground was designed from the beginning to integrate and adapt a variety of accommodations seamlessly, resulting in a completely unique play experience for everyone.”

The $7 million project also includes:

▪ A new parking lot with over twice as many spaces as before and new entry drive to allow visitors to park closer to the area they want to visit.

▪ Restrooms improvement/expansion.

▪ Three basketball courts, three sand volleyball courts, three tennis courts and four pickleball courts.

▪ Soccer fields and a bridge connecting the fields to the linear trail.

▪ Trail expansion to connect surrounding homes to the trail system.

And something else very special, Ramirez added.

“This project will include a brand-new structure from one of our playground manufacturers that is the first of its kind — quite literally. It doesn’t exist anywhere else yet and Mansfield will be the first city to debut this new amenity,” she said. “We can’t say anything else about it yet, but are very excited for the big reveal and know that our residents are going to love it, too.”

Ramirez said much of the funding is coming from the American Rescue Plan Act, designed to help create public spaces for people to safely gather.

Playground and more

Before the design, the city held multiple public meetings and focus group sessions with parents of children with different sensory or activity needs.

“One mom mentioned her daughter could get up the ramp at most playgrounds in her wheelchair but once she arrived, there was nothing to do, and she just watched as her friends climbed to the next level or slid down,” Ramirez said. “With that in mind, we designed the ramps to access the second level of play and included activity panels along the entire route as well as at the ground level, thus greatly expanding her play opportunities.”

While the project started as a playground replacement, Ramirez said it was soon realized much more was needed.

For one thing, the equipment and restrooms sit right in the floodway, and are often a few inches deep in standing water when Walnut Creek overflows after heavy rainfall.

“Unfortunately, the only part of the park that is fully out of floodway/floodplain is the existing parking lot and basketball courts, which meant this was a much bigger, more involved project than just the playground,” Ramirez said. “Once staff realized that was the case, it opened the doors for some really creative thinking, not just about Rose Park but the spaces around it and the potential for a complete re-imagining that would upgrade the equipment, but also continue to serve all residents and be a space that would grow with the community as a part of Mansfield today and in the future.

“It took a lot of shuffling and out-of-the-box planning but the end result is something pretty remarkable,” Ramirez said.

Protecting the landscape

A large part of the park’s popularity is due to its big trees providing shade that Ramirez said “feels more like you’re in the middle of the woods than a busy city.”

Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans stressed that Rose Park is where so many residents from all over the Metroplex have made family memories, along with having hosted community events and citywide volunteer events.

“It’s truly the heart of Mansfield,” Evans said.

Evans said preserving all the things that make the park special has always been a priority.

“It wasn’t an easy task by any means, but we’re confident this design has accomplished all of those goals and more, and will ensure Rose Park continues to be a cherished destination for generations to come,” he said.

Renovation timeline

The orchard of 100-year-old pecan trees fill a large open space in the center of the park. This space is frequently used for everything from family reunions to lazy afternoon picnics.

“The Pecan trees at Rose Park don’t just add shade, they create the entire atmosphere,” Ramirez said.

Before it became a park, the property was the home of Conway and Katherine Rose, who, according to her daughter, collected the pecans every year and sold them to a nut factory in Fort Worth.

“Aside from the historic relevance, the trees provide something increasingly rare in growing cities - peace, quiet, and natural solitude, even in the heart of the city,” Ramirez said.

When it’s all finished, the new Rose Park will have expanded from its original around 33 acres to being in the neighborhood of 50.

Ramirez said Phase 1 (playground, restrooms, parking lot and entry way), should be complete in mid-2025. Phase 2 (another restroom and courts) design will begin later this year, with construction starting sometime next year.

“That timeline hasn’t been finalized yet and will depend somewhat on the pacing of Phase 1,” she said.

Phase 3 (soccer fields, bridge, trial) has not been scheduled but should begin around the same time Phase 2 ends.

“Regardless, by this time next year the park will look like a completely different place,” she said.