"The biggest plus has, of course, been the ability to still practice and play games within close proximity of high-impact rain events," David Miller, Southlake's director of community services, told Community Impact this month. He went on to say that turf fields are now designated multi-use, which "has significantly increased the amount of practice and game space available to teams."
That quote explains the fencing on Duck Creek Drive. North Park's three fields are closed this fall so the city can finish a turf program it began in 2023. Southlake is not paying mainly for greener fields. It is paying for calendar time. Once North Park reopens, every partner athletic association in the city will have access to fields that drain quickly after a storm and that any sport can book.
Three Fields Off the Schedule for One Quiet Season
Construction started September 21 on what the city calls the last stage of its field turf conversion project. At its September 1 meeting, the City Council approved a contract with North Rock Construction & Associates, LLC, for an amount not to exceed $6,355,000. North Rock previously worked with the city on the Southlake Pickleball Complex. The project is fully funded through the Capital Improvements Program.
The work landed in fall for a reason. Miller told Community Impact that fall use of the North Park fields is usually low, and the city is working with affected groups on alternatives. The groups that did play at North Park this season have moved elsewhere.
| What | Where it stands this fall |
|---|---|
| North Park fields 1 through 3 | Closed for turf installation |
| Lady Dragon Lacrosse | Some fall games and practices at Southlake Sports Complex |
| City Flag Football | Running at Bob Jones Park |
| North Park itself | Open, with some areas fenced off |
| Sidewalk loop | Partly closed near the work zone |
| Expected finish | Early 2027 |
The city's TeamSideline field-status page backs this up. On its October 17 update, it listed North Park's lacrosse fields 1 through 3 and every North Park flag-football field as closed.
North Park was completed in September 2012. A 2022 city profile described three lighted multipurpose fields, walking trails, a playground, a large pond and open play space. It also named the park as home to City recreational flag football and Southlake Carroll Lacrosse Association games. The city's construction notice says the park stays accessible. It does not list which of the other amenities are open at each stage, so posted signs on site are the best guide.
Most of the Work Is Under the Turf
The green carpet arrives near the end. Most of the work goes into the layers under it, and those layers are what make the rain claim true.
In its September 18 announcement, the city described the North Park field system as a gravel base, a perimeter drainage system, blended infill and a shock pad. The work also includes drainage and fencing upgrades, sidewalk and ADA accessibility improvements, grading of the practice field, and landscaping.
Community Impact reported that, according to city documents, the new fields will be softer and absorb impact better than the NFL standard for turf. New chain-link fencing will go up around the fields, with safety netting rising above the north and south ends.
Drainage is the reason the schedule gains anything. A grass field that has just taken a heavy North Texas storm has to stay empty until it dries. A turf field built on a gravel base with perimeter drainage can host a practice that same evening. The multi-use designation adds the second gain. A turf field is not tied to one sport's season, so lacrosse, flag football and soccer can all draw from the same set of fields.
Bicentennial and Bob Jones Set the Pattern
North Park follows a plan the city has already used twice.
- October 17, 2023. City Council approved an $11.6 million agreement with GeoSurfaces for turf, ballfield fencing and amenities at Bicentennial Park and Bob Jones Park. The money was reallocated from SPDC capital funds that had been set aside for the Southlake Sports Complex project.
- Original target. The installation was expected to take 120 days, with completion planned for March 2024.
- November 2–3, 2024. The Southlake Girls Softball Association held its All-Star Tournament on the new Bob Jones turf, and Community Impact reported later that month that installation was wrapping up.
- June 2025. A city update described the major upgrades as complete.
- September 21, 2026. North Park, the final stage, broke ground.
The first round covered softball fields 3 through 6 and multipurpose fields 4 through 6 at Bob Jones Park, plus the baseball fields at Bicentennial Park. Community Impact's most recent count lists Bicentennial fields 3, 5, 6 and 7. The Southlake Girls Softball Association, Dragon Youth Baseball Association, Grapevine-Southlake Soccer Association and Miracle League all worked with the city on that phase.
The city's FY 2025 capital plan names Dragon Lacrosse and City Flag Football as the programs that benefit from the North Park phase. That fills the gap. Baseball and softball got turf in the first round. The lacrosse and flag-football fields on Duck Creek Drive were the main remaining fields still on grass.
Parking More Than Doubles
According to Miller, the new lot adds 152 spaces, bringing the park's total to 286. That means the current lot has 134 spaces, so the expansion more than doubles capacity. The new area includes lighting, drainage and landscaping. The city says it is meant to handle games and practices without cars parking on the grass during busy events.
The two halves of the project are linked. Multi-use fields that can be played right after rain will be booked more often, and more bookings bring more cars. Building the parking alongside the turf keeps that extra field time from ending up on the shoulder of Duck Creek Drive.
What Spring 2027 Still Has to Settle
The city's timeline says early 2027 in both its September announcement and Miller's October comments. Spring sports start around then, which is why the city says it will share updates on possible spring impacts with affected groups. As of mid-October, no detailed spring relocation schedule has been published.
The Bicentennial and Bob Jones phase is a useful comparison. It was scheduled to finish in March 2024, and its turf was hosting a softball tournament in November 2024. Lacrosse and flag-football families planning a spring season can treat "early 2027" as the city's target. Their association's own updates will give the actual return date.
Field lighting is the other open question. A June 2026 Community Impact report on the North Park budget listed LED field-lighting conversion as a possible addition "if funding allows." The September release confirms lighting for the new parking area but does not mention converting the field lights.
How to Check a Field Before You Drive
Even after North Park joins the turf system, Southlake's closure process stays the same. During construction, these are the fastest ways to confirm a field before loading the car:
- City Field Closure Line: (817) 748-8028.
- Posting times: City policy calls for weekday closures to be posted by 4 p.m. and weekend updates by 8 a.m.
- Online: The Southlake Athletics field-status page on TeamSideline lists every complex field by field and is updated Monday through Friday. The same page links to iOS and Android apps.
- Flag football game days: City-run flag football is updated at 2 p.m. on scheduled game days when field conditions are uncertain.
- Project milestones: The city's Park Special Projects turf installation page is where progress updates will be posted.
When the North Park fields reopen, the line and the status page will cover them under the same rules as the turf at Bicentennial and Bob Jones.
At Andrea Miranda, we keep track of projects like North Park because they shape daily life in the streets around them, from Saturday parking on Duck Creek Drive to how often a practice gets canceled. If you're thinking about a home near one of Southlake's athletic parks, or wondering how a project like this could come up in a sale, we're happy to walk you through the details.
