City plans $140 million overhaul of Fort Worth’s ‘Central Park.’ Here’s what’s planned

Fort Worth’s 800-acre Gateway Park will soon boast pickleball courts, a splash pad, more fields and other new amenities.

Fort Worth City Council approved a master plan for the park during their meeting Tuesday.

“This is our Central Park, and I think it belongs to the entire community, and this is an opportunity to really move things forward together,” Mayor Mattie Parker said at the meeting.

The master plan for the park is the city’s third since 2002, and the renovations won’t be cheap: they carry an estimated cost of $140 million.

According to the Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department, $8 million of those funds will come from a 2022 bond package, and $6 million will come from the Tarrant Regional Water District’s bond program.

The parks department said some of the funding could also be put forth as part of the 2026 bond proposal.

“We really needed to do this master plan and make sure that the community’s interest groups’ desires remain the same … so we’re really excited to be moving forward with the council’s adoption of the master plan last night,” said Scott Penn, a senior capital projects officer with the parks department.

The move is welcome news to Michele Kahne, the president of the nonprofit Fort Worth Mountain Bikers’ Association, which maintains and manages six trails in North Texas.

Kahne’s organization helped the city plan and design proposed improvements to Gateway Park’s mountain biking trails, and recently hosted its third annual Mountain Bike Festival at the park.

Kahne said attendance has grown from 90 riders in its first year to 350 riders this year.

“Anytime you have [a city] recognize the importance of green spaces, it’s a win for the community,” Kahne said. “I think that it’s going to bring people from outside of Fort Worth to the park to enjoy these features as well.”

Construction on the project is set to begin in 2026.