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https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...s-18547853.php

MacGregor Park, an iconic space in Houston, due for a $54 million renovation

Kinder Foundation leads efforts to renovate historic park for its centennial

By Andrew Dansby,
Staff writer
Dec 13, 2023

A storied space in Houston, MacGregor Park lent its name to two hip-hop song titles separated by 30 years: After the LA Rapper declared it “the place to be” in 1985, Fat Tony in 2015 referred to MacGregor as “the sweetest park.”

As the park inches toward its centennial, it is now being discussed not just for its past but for what its future will bear.

Houston City Council on Wednesday voted to approve a monumental proposal for a $54-million renovation of MacGregor Park. The project is led by a $27-million gift from the Kinder Foundation, part of an ongoing effort by Rich and Nancy Kinder to create and nurture urban green space in the city.

Work on the park is expected to begin in 2025 and be completed in about five years.

The plan will ultimately marry two visions: namesake Henry F. MacGregor’s hope for a natural haven amid an urban center and the activity-driven community space that MacGregor became during the second half of the 20th century.

“It’s a reimagining of the park but staying true to its roots,” says Rich Kinder, who founded the Kinder Foundation with his wife, Nancy.

The renovation will leave iconic MacGregor Park features in place like its iconic covered basketball court, a Spanish-style structure with 24 dynamic arches, while addressing numerous points long neglected due to deferred maintenance. The reconceived MacGregor Park will also boast new features, including an amphitheater and a youth multipurpose field. The park’s perimeter trail will be extended by 1.25 miles, linking it to the Bayou Greenways trail along Brays Bayou, further enhancing a formidable network of bicycle and jogging trails.

But even before the Bayou Greenways initiative, kids found their way to MacGregor. Kenneth Allen, director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, says he grew up on the other side of the South Loop from the park.

“As a boy, I’d still ride my bike here with my friends,” he says. “This park reaches more than just the surrounding communities over the years. People from all over have come to this park. They have for decades.”