From vision to reality: A side by side view of the rendering of the hummingbird climbing feature and the final product getting placed in Camden Park.
Camden Park is ready for its big debut. On Saturday, April 12, 2025, Westchase District will officially open its long-awaited signature park with an Easter Celebration presented by Grace Presbyterian Church. Families will be able to explore the park’s rooftop terrace, adventure path, hummingbird climbing feature, water zone, performance pavilion, dog park, walking trails and more. If all that exploring works up an appetite, they can stop by Sunday Press, the park’s onsite restaurant.
If you’ve driven down Wilcrest Drive in the past year, you’ve watched the park take shape. But the story of Camden Park goes back much further – more than a decade, in fact.
Laying the groundwork
It all started in 2013, when the City of Houston approved the first 380 program with Westchase District. This agreement allowed the District to use incremental property tax revenue for public projects including parks and trails. A person who happened to be present at that Council meeting, Houston’s (then) Director of Parks and Recreation Joe Turner, saw an opportunity. The City had money set aside from its open space ordinance fund – a fund developers can pay into instead of building their own green spaces – but it lacked resources to build and maintain new parks. Westchase District, with its ability to staff and maintain public spaces, was the perfect partner.
By 2014, discussions turned into action. Westchase District worked with the City to scout potential park locations, eventually settling on two sites – one for what would become Woodchase Park and the other for what was then called Wilcrest Park. The location for Wilcrest Park was ideal, sitting next to the city library, within walking distance of several apartment communities and easily connected to existing trails.
A blank slate: The future site of Camden Park before construction.
Securing the land was just the beginning. In 2016, open space funds were used to purchase both sites and Westchase District entered into an agreement with the Parks Department to design, develop and maintain the parks. A competitive process led to the hiring of landscape architecture firm OJB, known for designing Levy Park. Public meetings and surveys helped shape the vision and one community request stood out. “People really wanted bathrooms,” said Irma Sanchez, vice president of projects at the time and now Westchase District president and CEO.
Shaping the vision: Irma Sanchez leads a community engagement meeting, gathering input that helped shape the design and features of what would become Camden Park.
Overcoming challenges
Several challenges arose before breaking ground. The parcel, located within the boundaries of the Westchase Community Association, was designated for office use, requiring approval from at least 50 property owners for a land-use change. Westchase District hit the pavement, secured the signatures and got it done. Hurricane Harvey forced new drainage requirements, requiring the site plans to be updated. The site also had utility distribution lines running along one of its boundaries. But agreements with CenterPoint Energy and telecommunications companies allowed for their removal, making the park’s design more visually appealing. Sanchez was even able to find creative solutions for drainage, which saved around $1 million in park construction costs.
Still more money was needed to build the park as envisioned. So the “Greenspace for Westchase” campaign was launched. It got off to a slow start, when COVID-19 hit, making it a difficult time to raise money. Despite the hurdles, the campaign succeeded with major contributions from partners such as H-E-B, Phillips 66, CenterPoint Energy, BGE, Sun Mountain Energy, The Brown Foundation and a $1.25 million grant from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Camden Property Trust emerged as the top donor, securing the naming rights. Thus, Wilcrest Park became Camden Park.
The vision evolves
As the project progressed, the vision for the park evolved. A simple walk-up counter for food and drinks transformed into a casual-service restaurant after a market study identified a gap in casual dining options in the District. “Other staff members were jealous because part of my job required visiting lots of restaurants and sampling their food,” Sanchez joked. “After a thorough selection process, Sunday Press was chosen as the park’s food and beverage operator.”
One of the most exciting additions came late in the process – the adventure path. Initially scrapped due to cost, OJB found a way to value-engineer it back in. “It’s a lot more fun than the elevator we had planned,” Sanchez said. The performance pavilion also got an upgrade, with a permanent stage and AV equipment added to make hosting events easier.
With parking at a premium, the District partnered with nearby property owners to secure 200 daily parking spaces between the Robinson-Westchase Library and 3200 Wilcrest. For large events, additional agreements allow overflow parking. A midblock crossing was also added on Wilcrest to ensure safe pedestrian access.
A community effort
Breaking ground: The community and park stakeholders gather to celebrate the Camden Park vision becoming a reality.
In 2022, the community gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking, where Westchase District’s founding general manager Jim Murphy painted a picture of what was to come. “Our tent is sitting on what will be the children’s playground, featuring interactive games and water play,” he said. “You’ll be able to grab food at the café and take it to the rooftop terrace to enjoy an overhead view of the park and Westchase District.”
Kenneth Allen, the current director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, underscored the park’s significance. “Camden Park will be a fantastic addition to Houston’s park system. It’s not just another neighborhood park – it’s a destination. And it’s especially important because it’s outside of Loop 610, an area that has long been underserved in terms of public green space.”
The final stretch
After breaking ground in January 2023, construction took just over two years. Now, Camden Park is finally ready to welcome the public. The journey wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. “Every challenge, every delay, every change along the way made the park better,” Sanchez said.
On April 12, the gates will open and Houston will have a new destination park – one that was years in the making and built to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Camden Park is located at 2951 Wilcrest Dr, Houston, TX 77042. Visit camdenparkwestchase.com for updates and a calendar of events.
