The City of Arlington unveiled plans in 2011 to acquire weather-damaged homes near the Rush Creek area, and transform the lots into public park land.

Chronic flooding from Hurricane Hermine in 2010 presented an opportunity for the City of Arlington to purchase affected homes and condominiums. These properties would be demolished to expand park acreage at Clarence Foster Park, Kelly Park, and Rush Creek Linear Park.

"The Rush Creek Mitigation project will benefit Clarence Foster Park neighbors in several ways. The Park will be getting a completely new playground with shade structures and a new drinking fountain. The old exercise equipment that was in the park will be replaced as well. The old asphalt hike and bike trail will be replaced with a new 8' wide, lighted, looped concrete trail that will connect to the existing trails in Kelley Park and Rush Creek Linear Parks. A new lighted parking lot with an electronically controlled entry gate on the south side of the park should eliminate the need for parking on the street." Parks Project Manager Kurt Beilharz said.

The "Rush Creek Flood Mitigation Project" contract was bid out on September 24, 2013. The $2,000,000 project called for more than 20 acres of former residential land to be repurposed.

PARK IMPROVEMENTS:

• Removal of sections of Creekside Drive and Valleycrest Drive
• Re-grading and clean-up of the lots that were former home-sites
• Renovations and replacement in some areas of existing water and sanitary sewer lines
• Replacement of the existing asphalt hike and bike trail in Clarence Foster Park with a new 8' wide concrete Hike & Bike trail
• Full replacement of the existing playground in Clarence Foster Park
• New exercise equipment installed at 4 locations along the new trail (8 individual pieces in total)
• A new, lighted parking lot on the south side of Clarence Foster Park
• Updates to the trail lighting system
• New wildflower areas in Kelly Park along the existing trail

PROJECT UPDATE:
The project is moving forward well and is on schedule. All water-line replacement work has been completed. Approximately 90 percent of work on sanitary sewer line replacement has been completed. Work to clear and grade smooth the old home sites are approximately 85 percent complete. The new playground is scheduled to be completed at the end of April 2014. Work has begun on the new trail in Clarence Foster Park. All construction activity is currently scheduled to be complete by approximately June 20, 2014, weather permitting.

For more information on the Rush Creek Flood Mitigation Project contact Kurt Beilharz at 817-459-5478 or[email protected]!