Designed by TBG Partners, the new $1.5 million park and recreation destination provides open-air gathering spaces, playgrounds, water features and mosaic art walls created by local students

HOUSTON, July 20, 2010 – The four-acre Magnolia Park at Altamira in Mission Bend MUD No. 2 is complete after years of local efforts to provide a new park and recreation destination for Mission Bend-area residents and guests. The $1.5 million park is the result of significant efforts and close cooperation between Mission Bend Municipal Utility District (MUD) No. 2, Allen Boone Humphries Robinson, the Museum of Cultural Arts Houston (MOCHA), and TBG Partners, all of which partnered with the goal to transform the area previously-home to minimal green space into a multifaceted state-of-the-art public amenity that will have a significant impact on local economic growth, improve local quality of life, and create added value to the west Houston community.

Magnolia Park was designed with an array of enticing recreational opportunities within a cohesive park layout serving all users, including families, schoolchildren, walkers, joggers, bicyclists, dog-walkers, handicapped and more. It contains pathways/trailways connecting the park to neighborhood schools, greenbelts, playgrounds, a serenity garden, and a community-based public art installation, which opened in June 2010 and is composed of five new mosaic murals facilitated by public artist Reginald Adams, director of MOCHA, in collaboration with neighborhood elementary, middle and high school students’ artwork.

“Our goal for Magnolia Park was to provide a community improvement that will, hopefully, create a better quality of life, provide recreational and educational opportunities, and be a source of community identity and pride,” said Bill Odle, managing principal of TBG Partners’ Houston office. “At the same time, the plan strives to respect private property and provide neighbors with a safe environment to gather and celebrate the rich culture and history of Mission Bend with family and friends. It’s readily apparent that Mission Bend and west Houston residents recognize the value added to their community and to their property.”

In 2003, Texas voters passed Proposition 4, allowing the Texas State Legislature to authorize certain districts to issue bonds for the development and maintenance of recreational facilities, ultimately leading to the creation of parks and amenities like Magnolia Park at Altamira in Mission Bend MUD No. 2.

ABOUT TBG PARTNERS

As one of the top landscape architecture and planning firms in the Southwest, TBG Partners designs mixed-use and residential communities, corporate campuses, civic buildings, resorts, healthcare and educational facilities, city parks and historic sites. With a strong commitment to the advancement of sustainable design principles, TBG encourages its employees to become LEED Accredited Professionals and its clients to utilize green building practices for their projects. Established in 1987, TBG has offices in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. For more information, please visit www.tbg-inc.com

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Media Contact: Claire Bloxom
claire@coopersmithagency.com, (214) 329-9191