For South Park residents, the new Edgewood Park Community Center represents far more than a new building. It signals a long-awaited investment in a neighborhood gathering place where children can play, seniors can connect, families can celebrate milestones, and residents can strengthen the bonds that have long defined the community.
City leaders recently broke ground on the new 12,000-square-foot Edgewood Park Community Center at 5803 Bellfort Ave., launching a project that will also transform Edgewood Park through major recreational improvements and flood-mitigation upgrades.
Together, the investments aim to create a safer, more resilient, and more vibrant destination for one of Houston’s historic neighborhoods.
A place built for everyday community life
When complete, the new community center will feature a full-size gymnasium, multi-purpose rooms, a kitchenette, an office and IT spaces, restrooms, and storage areas designed to accommodate everything from youth programs and senior activities to community meetings and special events.
For South Park community leader and Precinct 239 Neighborhood Civic Club President Cynthia Pharms, the project fulfills a vision residents have pursued for nearly two decades.
“It’s been a long time coming, like Sam Cooke said. It’s been a long time since 2007,” said Pharms, referencing the year community members first began advocating for the project.
She said the center’s greatest value will come from the lives it touches every day.
“We have at least 150 to 200 Little League football players who play and practice at Edgewood Park daily,” said Pharms. “We have a daily after-school program for neighborhood children, and our own seniors program. Precinct 239 Neighborhood Civic Club, along with other civic associations.”
More than recreation
While the center will offer expanded recreational opportunities, neighborhood leaders say its impact extends far beyond that.
District D Council Member Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz described the project as an investment in the people who call South Park home.
“As the council member of District D, I have always believed that investment must reach the neighborhoods where people live, worship, raise their children, and build their lives,” Evans-Shabazz said. “Edgewood Park represents exactly that kind of investment. This groundbreaking is about more than concrete, equipment, and construction. It is about quality of life. It is about safety. It is about pride. It is about giving our young people a place to grow, and giving our elders a place to enjoy the community they helped to build.”
She added that the improvements reinforce the City’s commitment to neighborhoods that have long deserved greater public investment.
“We are investing in the community, and we are making a clear statement that our neighborhoods, our families, our seniors, and our children deserve public spaces that reflect their value, their dignity, and their future,” Evans-Shabazz said. “Edgewood Park has always been more than a park. It is a gathering place. It is where families come together, where children play, where neighbors see one another, and where community is built one conversation, one event, and one shared memory at a time. And today, we begin the next chapter.”
Designed with South Park in mind
City officials say the center was shaped through neighborhood input and designed with accessibility, resilience, and long-term sustainability in mind.
The building will be elevated above the floodplain to provide greater flood protection while remaining easily accessible through an ADA-compliant pedestrian ramp and covered drop-off area.
“We are making a clear statement that our neighborhoods, our families, our seniors, and our children deserve public spaces that reflect their value, their dignity, and their future.”
Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz
The project also preserves an important piece of neighborhood history. The iconic Edgewood community mural will be relocated inside the new gymnasium, allowing future generations to enjoy a symbol that has long reflected the community’s identity.
Houston’s Mayor John Whitmire says the project reflects a strong city getting stronger.
“The new Edgewood Community Center reflects our commitment to investing in quality public spaces that strengthen neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life for all Houston families,” said Whitmire. “This project delivers a lasting community asset that residents will enjoy for generations.”
Houston Parks and Recreation Director Kenneth Allen said the project reflects collaboration among multiple city departments and neighborhood residents.
“Together, we are creating a resilient, welcoming community destination that supports recreation, health, wellness, and lifelong connections while advancing our vision of providing quality parks and facilities in every community,” said Allen.
A park that serves multiple purposes
The improvements extend well beyond the community center itself. Houston Public Works plans to begin construction this fall on a $4.6 million detention and park enhancement project that combines flood control with expanded recreational amenities.
Plans include a dry-bottom detention basin, bioswales, upgraded storm sewers, and other green infrastructure to improve drainage and enhance water quality. Residents will also benefit from new walking trails, sports lighting, a football field, a basketball court, picnic areas, additional trees, irrigation improvements, and a park shelter.
Evans-Shabazz said those kinds of investments strengthen neighborhoods in ways that go beyond recreation.
“When we invest in parks, we invest in public health. We invest in stronger neighborhoods. We invest in community pride,” said Evans-Shabazz. “We invest in the kind of Houston we want to see; a Houston where every neighborhood matters.”
Building for generations
For residents like Pharms, the revitalized park will continue to serve as South Park’s gathering place during celebrations and as a shelter during natural disasters. She also envisions the new facility becoming the home for expanded year-round neighborhood programming.
“We plan to have special programs during the holidays for our residents, back-to-school drives, Thanksgiving food drives, Christmas toy drives, Valentine’s Day events for seniors, Easter Egg hunts, and more,” Pharms said.
The City of Houston’s $9.5 million community center project, combined with the park improvements, represents one of the largest recent public investments in South Park.
Although the groundbreaking officially marked the beginning of construction, neighborhood leaders say the project’s true significance will be measured after the ribbon-cutting—when children fill the gym after school, seniors gather for fellowship, families enjoy community celebrations, and Edgewood Park continues serving as the heart of South Park for generations to come.
