MIDLAND, Texas — A Hogan Park Community Forum was held Tuesday night to discuss the renovations that are being planned.
It was a question-and-answer format, and many citizens asked questions to a panel that consisted of District 2 City Councilman John Norman, as well as representatives from the conservancy board and other elected officials. The goal of the forum was to provide some clarity to the community.
The forum took place at the MLK Center, and it was an attempt to clear up any confusion regarding renovations to Hogan Park. There is certainly a lot to unpack when it comes to different factors such as accessibility, representation and cost.
For Midland citizen Lynn Rogers, access is at the forefront.
“One of my big concerns is access," said Rogers. "Making sure that all people have access, and that as the conservancy makes decisions, that price points aren’t set so high that people are priced out of access.”
Councilman Norman doesn’t expect that to be a problem at the moment.
“We want to make it nice for the citizens of Midland," said Norman. "Hogan Park has been a staple of the community for years, and we want it to be a place where everyone can come in and enjoy a huge facility and a nice park.”
With $55 million being the cost at the moment, including $10 million set to be provided by the City of Midland, those prices are certainly raising some eyebrows.
“$55 million does seem pretty steep, considering they already have the land and they’re not building huge complexes, like stadiums and such," said Rogers. "So, it does seem a little excessive, but, again, I'd like to see what we’re actually, what’s all being done that’s going to cost $55 [million].”
It’s important to understand that nothing has been finalized yet, and this was a chance for the community to get involved. It was a constructive and informative forum, and it remains to be seen how this public input will impact future negotiations regarding the Hogan Park project.