Mansfield purchases 100 acres for new park

The City of Mansfield has purchased 100 acres of undeveloped land between West Broad Street and Newt Patterson Road to serve as a future nature preserve. One of the largest park additions in the city’s history, the project will include a network of soft and solid surface trails, for fitness, nature exploration and mountain biking that will connect to Walnut Creek Linear Park.

The park is one-third of a large mixed-use development by Realty Capital called Westhill Parks. Right now, all the land is just pastures and farmland, so they've got a lot of work to do to create those designs and construction documents and to get infrastructure to the site. The park won't be developed until that project gets further along

Currently, there is no timeline or estimate for construction on the park, the city said. The city purchased the land for $4 million to preserve the green space in the growing area.

This 100-acre nature park will help complete Mansfield’s Walnut Creek Linear Trail and contribute toward the City Council’s vision for the “Western Promise,” a special area plan designed to improve overall connectivity and opportunity for Western Mansfield, which includes creating a new road and bridge crossing over Walnut Creek to connect Newt Patterson Road and West Broad Street, providing north-south access to residents in western Mansfield and spurring planned growth in the region.

"Through this partnership we can strengthen western Mansfield's connection to the rest of the city," City Manager Joe Smolinski said. "This area has the promise to become a unique district in Mansfield and a destination for residents."

The new park will improve citywide mobility with a network of soft surface, paved and mountain biking trails, all with a connection to the Phase 4 expansion of the Walnut Creek Linear Trail and Mans Best Field Dog Park.

This purchase gives rising water a place to go when needed, keeping the grass green and the surrounding homes dry and protected from floods.

The property includes ponds, creeks, thick woods and open spaces, all prime for recreational activities like fishing, hiking and wildlife tracking. This purchase preserves the habitats of native species and allows them to flourish and grow while also giving guests true wilderness to explore.

The property is being designed in conjunction with a private development from Dallas-based Realty Capital called Westhill Parks, which will have over 600 single-family lots, retail and a future neighborhood services facility. The organization has developed multiple projects in Mansfield including Main Street Lofts, a 266-unit multi-family community, and Watson Branch, a 77-acre mixed-use community.

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