Imagine having a place within walking distance of your home, where you and your family can spend the day enjoying bountiful outdoor activities. A place to meet friends to relax poolside. A place to hold family functions commemorating special events. A place where even the family dog is welcome.
That’s exactly what The Howard Hughes Corporation did when it conceptualized the 25-acre park and 25-acre lake known as Dragonfly Park. With attention to detail and masterful design, Howard Hughes created an idyllic space by combining creativity and purpose.
On August 17, a grand opening is planned for Parkland Village’s grand amenity. After 14 months in the making, Bridgeland’s second village will welcome residents who have anxiously awaited access to Dragonfly Park. In addition to the amenity rich park, the opening day will feature numerous activities for residents to engage with each other and the outdoors.
IT’S NOT JUST A PARK, IT’S A DESTINATION
Entry to the park begins with passage through Parkland’s signature entry portals. Right away you notice the park is landscaped with indigenous plants and prairie grasses. Existing trees were incorporated into the front side of the park, giving it a more wooded feel and acting as a gateway into an environment designed for playful relaxation.
Take the gravel walkway through Settlers’ Park, where trees accompanied by plaques commemorate the first 100 homebuyers in Parkland Village. The walkway leads you to the Activity Center designed to maintain the architectural theme of the village.
The Parkland Activity Center is divided into two parts separated by a beautiful stained glass, canopied walkway. It casts reflections on the pavers below, welcoming visitors with prisms of color. Numerous other architectural nuances can be seen throughout the park, like the angled square at the top of entry gates, circular bike racks, and the geometric design of walkway pavers, that add to the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired aesthetic of the overall village and amenity center.
Walking under the canopy, sounds of rushing water from the cauldron-sized water feature fills the space. A serenity pool with views of Dragonfly Lake just beyond help to bring your psyche into a tranquil focus.
One side of the Activity Center is devoted to event space. The interior is decorated in muted hues of gray and blue for additional calming. The large glass bi-fold doors easily open to include the outdoor patio and enlarge the event space. Patio lights hang over the lawn area so that residents can enjoy lawn games long after the sun has set.
A large fitness center with a nearby children’s playroom and yoga/spin studio occupies the other half of the building. Exercisers can use the treadmill and stair-stepper as they gaze out the large windows that give tranquil views of the serenity pool.
The resort-style pool contains all kinds of features you’d dream of having in your own backyard. With a beach entry and centrally located treehouse play structure for young children, a sunning shelf and lounge area for adults, a lazy river, and a rope swing over deeper water that will entertain the middle aged child, there is something for every age group to enjoy. Families can make a day at the pool by using one of the two outdoor kitchens to host functions poolside or prepare a meal for the hungry family after a day of swimming and activities at the park.
THERE’S STILL MORE!
There are abundant opportunities for outdoor activities like tennis courts, a tree-lined dog park offering shaded havens for your pet, an open field for a pick-up game of soccer, basketball courts, and an additional restroom facility with water bottle filling station are all contained within the park. There’s even a multi-level spray park for kids to cool off from the hot Texas sun. Adjacent to the splash pad, is a creative play park which houses a one-of-kind dragonfly play structure that gives the park its name. An informational panel alongside the park informs curious climbers about the dragonfly.
Exiting through the circular portal after a day’s adventure at Dragonfly Park, residents will certainly feel like they have exercised their body and calmed their mind. Unlike a theme park, you don’t need a ticket, but you will need your key fob to access most of the features. Starting on August 17, when you ask the kids what they want to do for the day, they’ll most likely ask to go to Dragonfly Park. The park has entrances on Roaming Bison and Copper Breaks Crossing. Grand opening festivities begin at 4 PM.