The Prosper parks system will add yet another option for residents to gather as the Town Council has approved the construction contract for Hays Park, nestled in one of Prosper’s oldest neighborhoods.
Situated at 9008 Prestonview Street, just east of Preston Road and several blocks south of Prosper Trail, the park is named after Chester G. Hays one of the patriarchs of the Hays family, longtime residents and landowners in Prosper. In fact, the new park sits some 300 feet east of Hays Road. The park also honors the late Bill Hays, a descendent of the park’s namesake who founded and chaired the Prosper Historical Society and wrote a pair of books providing the definitive history of Prosper.
Hays Park was dedicated to the Town in 1981. Approved as part of the March 23 Council agenda, the construction contract was awarded to Ratliff Hardscape, Ltd. in the amount of $375,000, funded by the park improvement fee fund. The fund, utilized by most municipalities, is one into which builders and developers contribute as part of their construction and permit fees to the Town.
Called a pocket park because of its proximity to a specific neighborhood and lack of a large parking lot, it is among the parks typically accessed by residences on foot. Significantly, the new park forms part of one of Prosper’s founding neighborhoods, established when the Town’s residential footprint was much smaller than it is today. The homes in the park’s immediate vicinity, for example, reflect the formerly-popular practice of building homes on large lots on land owned by generations of the same families.
Hays Park is slated to include irrigated open space areas, decomposed granite walkways, a pavilion, picnic tables, benches, a playground area, and wildflower area. The project will begin construction shortly and is expected to be completed by the end of summer. A distinctive monument sign with the park’s name will be erected to conform to similar signs at other Town parks.
The list of the park’s amenities was finalized during several public meetings hosted by the Parks and Recreation Board last year. The park’s cost includes all of the improvements, as well as the structures and other enhancements.
