TYLER, Texas — In 2011, Tyler Mayor Don Warren and Deputy City Manager Stephanie Franklin had an idea which eventually led to a four-phase master plan spanning all the way to the present day.
On Saturday morning, it culminated with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the fully renovated Bergfeld Park. The re-opening completes a $2.5 million plan, with over $1 million raised privately. The city matched the rest to complete the necessary funding.
"It's been over a 10-year project," said Warren. "It started just on paper but now... here we are!"
The renovations included new playground equipment, a large multipurpose amphitheater, and new tennis and pickleball courts.
Now, Warren is excited to see everyone come out to Bergfeld Park and enjoy the newest features.
"This, is why we did it. It was for the public," Warren said. "And what we've seen is happiness, joy, laughter. And that's what parks are all about."
But the city isn't just stopping at Bergfeld. They have plans to continue renovating all 28 city parks over the next few years. Since 2014, over $10 million has been spent on park renovations throughout the city, and they plan to continue that trend.
However, at Bergfeld Park, the renovations brought in some of the best equipment and features available in a park setting. As a result, it likely won't need renovations for a while after the hard work of the city to get to this point.
"We want renovations to last over 50 years here," said Warren. "We didn't do anything cheap, so this is going to be here for a very long time."