The first project from Garland’s $423.7 million bond program, approved by residents just nine months ago, is officially on the ground. New LED field lights went live for the first night games of the youth soccer season Feb. 24 at Winters Park.
"It’s an incredibly special night for the City of Garland and its Parks Department," City Manager Bryan Bradford said at the Flip the Switch ceremony that also included Mayor Scott LeMay and City Council and Parks Board members. "We could not do this without a very special thank you to the voters of Garland."
The wooden poles were replaced with a $3.2 million field lighting system in less than 100 days between the fall and spring youth soccer seasons. While providing better lighting for the players and families within the park, the new lights are also better concentrated on the park and far less intrusive to neighboring residential and retail properties and Garland Independent School District campuses.
Parks and quality of life were major focal points of the May 2019 bond election, in which eight items were all passed by the voters. The Winters lighting project is first of $117.75 million in resident-approved parks projects that will be completed.