|
Home
| About Us
| News Releases
| Jobs
| Internships
| Web Site Directory
City of San Antonio
Parks & Recreation Department
Southside Lions Park
900 Hiawatha
Southside Lions Park is a 600-acre tract that was purchased by the City from the Estate of George W. Brackenridge in 1944 and 1964. The park, also known as Hi-Lions Park, takes it name from the organization that worked to preserve the area for public park land.
In 1944, the City purchased 346.45 acres from the Brackenridge Estate for the purpose of a landfill. Residents of the Highland Park area and members of the Highland Park Lions Club successfully petitioned the City to use the land as a park instead of a garbage dump.
Prior to development of the park, 22 acres were deeded in 1953 to the San Antonio Independent School District for construction of Highlands High School. The area adjacent to Salado Creek was cleared in 1956 for a picnic area and a 33-acre sports center was developed. Service clubs and citizens donated funds to purchase some 400 trees that were planted in 1957. The City bought the remainder of the Brackenridge Estate tract in 1964, and throughout the 1960s, improvements were made to the park. A recreation center, softball fields, tennis facility, dam and 10-acre lake were built on the property. In 1986, Community Development Block Grant funds were used to build a gymnasium and to upgrade the community center that was dedicated on November 1, 1986. Trails and lighting improvements were provided with funds from the 1994 Quality of Life bond issue. A new playground was also constructed and further additions and improvements were made to the community center.
Send comments to kirvin@sanantonio.gov.
|