Children take part in the Summer Playground Program and young people from Southern Oaks Baptist Church play kick ball in 2015 at Pollard Park in Tyler. The park, one of Tyler’s oldest, is set to undergo “much-needed” renovations after the City Council approved a design plan Wednesday.

Pollard Park, one of Tyler’s oldest, is set to undergo “much-needed” renovations after the City Council approved a design plan Wednesday.

Halff Associates will create the plan for the park under the contract that has a cost of $96,000.

The plans includes surveying; detailed site, park and utility design; necessary permitting; identification of utility costs; coordination with utility companies; and other needed details to successfully develop the project.

In April, the city held a public meeting to hear what residents wanted and needed at Pollard Park. That input has helped influence ideas for the park’s updates, said Director of Parks and Recreation Leanne Robinette.

Pollard Park, on East Amherst Drive, has not been renovated in “quite some time,” and it is time for updates, Robinette said.

“The city of Tyler has 28 parks, and Pollard Park actually has one of the oldest playgrounds, which was installed in 1993, so it is really important for us to get a new playground out there that’s safe and usable for all ages and all groups of children,” Robinette said.

A big request from residents that will be accommodated was to add pickleball courts, she said. Pickleball, which has similarities to tennis, has become popular quickly, Robinette said. Another priority is the addition of basketball courts, she added.

Other updates will include renovated restrooms, a pavilion and resurfaced tennis courts.

“I think that any renovation to any community park … it brings a new sense of pride to the community and the users of that park,” Robinette said. “I think it will draw a lot of new users out, such as the pickleball players.”

Robinette said Halff Associates anticipates the design and bid documents for Pollard Park to be completed in the next two months. From there, the project will be sent out to bid for construction and then brought back to the council around the beginning of October to award the bid.

The goal is to break ground on the renovations during the second or third week of October, Robinette said.

Robinette said about five years ago, the city came into more funding for parks updates through Keep Tyler Beautiful landfill funding. When a resident pays to use use the landfill, those funds go into a capital improvement fund specifically for parks.

“We are hoping to touch every park in some way in the next five to six years, which is amazing because some of these parks have not been touched for decades,” she said.

The city is working to renovate Noble E. Young Park, which is anticipated to be completed by August. The next park planned for updates is P.T. Cole Park.