The City of Frisco expanded its park system this weekend with the opening of Northwest Community Park. It’s located at 13770 Teel Parkway. The new park is the first time Frisco has built a community park in one phase. The park is also an active restoration project, designed to preserve the end angered Blackland Prairie. “Northwest Community Park is impressive in size and design, which focuses on preservation,” said Mayor Mark Hill. “It’s thoughtfully designed for avid bikers, hikers and families who want to enjoy the outdoors. All ages and experience levels are welcome, whether you’re a beginner or professional.” The park features more than 10 miles of different trails. There’s also a pump track for cyclists and BMX riders. There’s also a Skills Course and Prairie Lookout, featuring two gravity ramps for more experienced riders. Young bikers will also find a small track to ride on as well. Other park features include a 20-acre ‘great lawn’ plus three playgrounds, including one featuring a 20-foot-tall, custom-made ‘Bison’ play structure. There is a splash pad for young park enthusiasts and a five-acre dog park. Two ‘mini’ zip lines encourage friendly competitions between park goers. Plus, an outdoor classroom, of sorts, is available for groups to gather and learn more about the endangered Blackland Prairie. Northwest Community Park cost $40 million to construct, which bonds covered. The Frisco Community Development Corporation (FCDC) contributed about $3 million toward project costs. The person credited with crafting the vision for Northwest Community Park is Ricardo Sanchez, Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Manager, Play Frisco. Sanchez started envisioning the park plan in 2019 and design started in 2020. Sanchez says the park site was already home to a smaller, city-owned pump track used by an active cycling community. He worked with DORBA, Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association, to design the park’s cycling features. Sanchez worked with ecologists to preserve blackland soils and grasslands. The project added more than 1,300 elm and oak trees. Sanchez asks park visitors to ‘pardon our temporary irrigation’ as staff works to care for remnants of backland soils. “The entire park is like a university,” said Ricardo Sanchez, CIP Manager. “We wanted to build a park that belongs to the land.” Northwest Community Park hours replicate other city park hours: open 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset. ...read more read less