Photos: Courtesy City Parks Alliance

MacGregor Park is a lush oasis in the Houston Southeast management district, 83 acres of greenspace just east of the Texas Medical Center boasting picnic grounds, a vibrant community center, swimming pool, basketball court, and hike and bike trails. It is the home of the Homer Ford Tennis Center where Olympic and professional athletes have trained and the park’s basketball pavilion was a second home to Phi Slama Jama, the University of Houston’s basketball team that rose to fame from 1982-1984.

The park also houses a memorial statue to Martin Luther King, Jr. and a less famous bas relief bronze statue of Peggy, the wife of Henry Frederick MacGregor, by John Gutzon Borglum the sculptor famous for the Mount Rushmore faces.

The park has been so loved, and so used, for almost 100 years that it has long been in need of a major overhaul. As far back as 2016 the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) spearheaded a masterplan for the park, which was updated in 2021thanks to the Houston Parks Board, HPARD, Kinder Foundation, Friends of MacGregor Park, MacGregor Park Conservancy, University of Houston, and Houston Southeast management district. Construction finally began this August: a brand-new tennis clubhouse, 16 tennis courts, two practice courts, and eight pickleball courts, as well as an inclusive playground for all children are set for Phase 1. Work is also starting on adding 3,000 new trees and over three miles of new walking trails and sidewalks. Phase II will see major pool renovations and a brand-new pool house as well as upgrades to the fitness center and the basketball pavilion. The tennis center, disc golf course, baseball field, large playground, and parts of the parking area and trails are closed during construction. But you can visit nearby parks such as Fonde Park, Smither Park, Gragg Park Complex, and Emancipation Park during the construction phase.

The project is made possible by a $27 million catalyst gift from Kinder Foundation, which is half of the total project’s cost of $54 million. Houston Parks Board will raise an additional $12.5 million; the City of Houston contributed $10.5 million; and the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) 7 will contribute $4 million designated for parking and access improvements. In October 2024, the project received a $10 million federal grant from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP).

“It is a tremendous honor to receive ORLP funding, recognizing that these grants are very competitive,” Justin Schultz, president and CEO of the Houston Parks Board told the City Parks Alliance blog. “McGregor Park has been a gathering place for the community for nearly a century, where neighbors, active recreation, and civic life coexist.”

by Marene Gustin