A federal grant will provide the final funding needed for a transformative project at Teague Park in Longview.
The Department of the Interior announced that Longview would receive $1.318 million through the Land and Water Conservation Fund's Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program. The money is part of a total $254.68 million awarded to 54 projects in 24 states for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks. It is the single largest investment ever from this program, the Department of the Interior said in a statement.
Longview is one of five Texas cities selected for funding, along with Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas.
The project, "Bringing Back Teague Park," will cost a total of about $2.6 million. The project began as a proposal by former Mayor Andy Mack to create an entryway from Marshall Avenue into the park, improving the visibility of the park as part of his efforts to boost the appearance of Marshall Avenue through the city.
The Go-Giver galas he led for several years raised $330,000 that has been pledged to the project. The Longview Economic Development Corp. also pledged $1 million. Those two funding sources provide the required matching funds for the federal grant. The PALS Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps support the city's Parks and Recreation Department, also provided the earnest money to put toward purchasing the now vacant American Legion Building next to the park.
“A hidden gem in the City of Longview, this project proposes to ‘Bring Back Teague Park' by transforming it into one of the city’s most significant outdoor recreation facilities," the grant application says. "Phase I of the project, detailed in this application, will create a prominent entryway for the park; extend the city’s trail system into Teague Park, bring in an all-inclusive outdoor playground and expand the park’s footprint.”
The grant application says the first phase will: create a new entryway to the park from Marshall Avenue just north of the current park property and acquire a piece of land related to it; extend Cargill Long Trail, which is a National Recreation Trail, into Teague Park; acquire land surrounded by Teague Park that is owned by the recently closed American Legion and its parking lot across American Legion Boulevard; and install an all-inclusive playground on existing Teague Park land.
The city's Parks and Recreation Department is expected to eventually move from its longtime home on Gum Street into the now vacant American Legion building.
Laura Hill is the director of grant and human services, but she's a longtime employee who has served in many roles for the city of Longview, including parks director at one time.
"I'm really, really excited," she said.
When she was a child growing up Longview, Teague Park was "much more vibrant" than it has been in recent years. Opening up an entrance from Marshall Avenue, where the Globe Inn once was, will provide visibility from that road, where about 30,000 vehicles travel each day
"This is going to fulfill a vision that has been six or seven year in the making," she said. The project will significantly contribute to the revitalization of the park and that part of town, she said.
Longview's selection for the grant is by itself significant.
"I was floored, No. 1, that only 24 states got funding and then in Texas, it's like the major metroplexes got it and then Longview," Hill said, recalling her reaction. "It was like 'Wow! We done good.' I was kind of floored... but good for us. Good things are happening in Longview.
The grant application calls the planned work "Phase I." No official plans exist for future phases, but they could include a food truck area, more pavilions and other enhancements to make it easier to host large events. Those items didn't fit in the budget for this part of the project, Hill said.
Mack said the Teague Park project is a "huge piece of the puzzle" that will continue to help Longview grow.
He began his initiative in 2018 to help improve East Marshall Avenue in the city and, in particular, Teague Park.
He said that, as mayor, people continually asked asked about how U.S. 80/Marshall Avenue could be improved.
"I agree with our residents that improving one of our main thoroughfares is worthwhile and beneficial,” he said, referring to his Go Giver Gala fundraiser to garner financial support for the vision.
"It's apark located in the center of Longview, and it needs to be accessible and it needs to be great," he said this past week.
Mack completed his third and final term as mayor in May. He pointed to all the people and organizations involved in pushing the project forward, from supporters of the Go-Giver Galas, to LEDCO, the city of Longview, Gregg County, the PALS Foundation and now through federal grant funding.
That "massive" community support is likely one of the reasons the city was selected for the federal grant, Hill said.
"Now, it's going to be somewhat of a showplace, which is what it ought to be," Mack said, and it will provide people in Longview a place they can go and enjoy.
"I think it's fantastic," he said. "I knew it would happen, but it was just a matter of when."
The Teague family sold the land on which the park is located to the city in 1935. A family graveyard is still inside the park.
The park has struggled in more recent years, with the trees along Marshall Avenue largely blocking it from view from the road and making it a prime spot for the drugs and prostitution associated with some of the deteriorating and older hotels in that area
The Globe Inn was just north of the park on Marshall Avenue. It opened in 1954 and was at that time an upscale hotel.
As it aged and deteriorated, the Globe Inn became a place where low income and transient people lived, like some other hotels on Marshall Avenue. It was known for drug use and other criminal activity and was witness to the shooting death of Longview Police Sgt. Randy Davis in 1984. The city was working to shut the motel down as a nuisance when it was purchased and demolished in 2018.
Marshall Avenue, once known as vibrant area with popular restaurants, also had declined over the years, but recent developments and new restaurants are also helping improve the area. The popular Tia Juanita's Fish Camp restaurant remodeled the long-vacant Johnny Cace's restaurant. New gas stations and a storage facility— where the American Dream hotel was once located— also have been built at the intersection with Eastman Road.
The project's timeline shows construction won't begin until September 2026, and it would be completed in June 2027. That timeframe accommodates all the federal grant requirements— the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will administer the grant— including developing all the specific construction plans.
