McALLEN — Tres Lagos has $500,000 more to work with.
The new 2,500‑acre north McAllen community applied and was recently approved for a $500,000 grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission for all parks in the first phase of the Tres Lagos Public Improvement District.
This money will go toward the planned $6.5 million parks in phase one. Mike Rhodes, the head of Tres Lagos, said Wednesday this project includes a lake, fishing pier, basketball courts, a tennis court, walking trails and an island in the middle of the lake with a pavilion for concerts.
Construction is set to start in September with completion slated for May 2017, Rhodes said. The opening of the park would be a soft opening with the grand opening set for a big 2017 Fourth of July fireworks show.
Sally Gavlik, former head of McAllen Parks and Recreation, consults with Rhodes Enterprises and was a big part in writing the grant. They submitted the grant in October and it was approved at the end of March.
“It being the first park in the (Public Improvement) District definitely weighed heavily in the approval,” said Josh Havens from Texas Parks & Wildlife. “The purpose of the grant is to provide opportunities, at the local level, to encourage outdoor recreation.”
The amount Gavlik and Rhodes applied for, $500,000, is the max.
Tres Lagos broke ground last month. It will take several phases and more than 20 years to complete.
The giant community will feature 20 miles of hike and bike trails, fitness centers, 200 acres of parks, a K‑12 IDEA school and a Texas A&M Campus, among many other things. There will be more than 1.5 million square feet of commercial and retail space.
The IDEA school and Texas A&M are both in line to open in the fall of 2017.