GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT | SPORTS | COMMUNITY

Pat Hallisey Park Moves Toward Construction After League City Approves $49.8 Million Contract

The 106-acre west-side sports complex will include nine baseball and softball fields, 12 pickleball courts, soccer fields, playgrounds, trails and other amenities, with construction currently expected to begin in January.

By Talk of League City | October 16, 2026

LEAGUE CITY, Texas — One of the largest recreational projects in League City history is officially moving toward construction.

League City Council has approved a $49,764,800 construction contract with SpawGlass Construction Corp. for Pat Hallisey Park, the long-planned regional sports complex on the city’s west side.

The City confirmed the approval in a new Council recap released Friday morning.

The project will transform approximately 106 acres near Calder Drive and Ervin Street into a large sports and recreation destination featuring baseball, softball, soccer, pickleball, tennis, trails, playgrounds and other community amenities.

Construction is currently anticipated to begin in January 2027.

More Than $53 Million Authorized for Construction

The construction contract itself is valued at just under $50 million, but the approved project authorization is larger.

Council’s October 13 action included:

• $49,764,800 for the SpawGlass construction contract
• $3,392,185 for a construction work-change directive budget
• $290,460 for materials testing by Terracon Consultants

That brings the approved construction budget to $53,447,445.

The additional contingency provides the City with funding to address changes or unforeseen conditions that may arise during construction without treating the entire amount as money that will necessarily be spent.

What Will Be Built?

Pat Hallisey Park is intended to serve as a regional recreation facility for League City’s growing west side.

The approved construction scope includes a substantial mix of competitive sports facilities and general recreation amenities.

The baseball and softball complexes are intended to provide additional capacity for youth sports organizations that have faced increasing demand as League City’s population has grown.

Construction Is Expected to Take About 19 Months

SpawGlass submitted the lowest responsible bid under the City’s evaluation process.

Nine sealed bids were received for the project.

The approved contract includes a construction duration of 570 calendar days, or roughly 19 months.

City staff currently expects construction to begin in January 2027.

That timeline remains subject to normal construction variables, including weather, utility work and unexpected site conditions.

How Is League City Paying for the Project?

According to City documents, the $53.45 million construction budget is funded from several sources.

The financing structure is worth noting because earlier versions of the project carried substantially lower construction estimates.

The City’s previous capital plans had estimated construction costs closer to the low-$40 million range.

The final approved package reflects the bids received in 2026, selected project alternatives, construction contingency and testing costs.

Most of the Optional Improvements Made the Final Project

When contractors submitted bids earlier this year, the project included 13 optional alternatives that Council could choose to add or remove depending on cost and priorities.

City Council reviewed those alternatives during an April work session.

Ultimately, nearly all were included in the construction scope.

The City excluded only two optional components: additional baseball batting-cage lanes and an additional play tower and swing.

The remaining selected alternatives added approximately $3.62 million to SpawGlass’s base bid.

Why the West Side?

Pat Hallisey Park will be located in one of the fastest-developing portions of League City.

Residential development west of I-45 has increased demand for parks, athletic fields and other public amenities.

The location near Calder Drive and Ervin Street also puts the facility close to the future Grand Parkway corridor.

That creates both opportunities and challenges.

A regional sports facility can attract families from across League City and potentially host tournaments that bring visitors from outside the area.

At the same time, large youth sports complexes can produce concentrated traffic during tournaments and weekends when multiple games begin or end around the same time.

The project includes internal roads, parking and access connections to both Ervin Street and Calder Road to help accommodate that traffic.

A Memorial Will Also Be Part of the Park

Pat Hallisey Park will carry significance beyond recreation.

League City is also developing a memorial within the park honoring Heidi Fye, Laura Miller, Audrey Cook and Donna Prudhomme, whose remains were discovered in the nearby area historically associated with the “Texas Killing Fields.”

Council previously selected a memorial concept and approved an $88,200 professional-services agreement with TBG Partners for final design, bidding and construction-related services.

The City’s latest Council recap confirms that plans for the memorial remain part of the broader discussion surrounding Pat Hallisey Park.

The memorial is being handled as a separate project from the primary sports-complex construction contract.

Who Was Pat Hallisey?

The park was originally known as Bay Colony Park before City Council voted in February 2025 to rename it in honor of former Mayor Pat Hallisey.

Hallisey served as League City mayor from 2016 through 2022 and had longstanding ties to parks and recreation, including previous service as director of both League City and Galveston County parks departments.

The naming connects one of League City’s largest future recreational facilities with a local leader whose career included significant involvement in public parks.

A Major Investment in Youth Sports

The most immediate impact of the project will likely be felt by League City youth sports organizations.

The addition of nine baseball and softball diamonds provides significantly more field capacity.

Twelve new pickleball courts will also expand one of the fastest-growing recreational activities in the city.

The soccer fields, tennis courts, playgrounds and trails broaden the park beyond organized baseball and softball, allowing it to function as a general recreation destination for residents who are not participating in league sports.

What Residents Should Watch Next

Council approval moves the project past one of its biggest financial and procedural hurdles, but there are still several milestones ahead.

Residents should watch for:

• A formal construction start date
• Site preparation and contractor mobilization
• Traffic impacts near Calder Road and Ervin Street
• Updates involving utilities and drainage
• Construction progress and schedule changes
• Development of the Killing Fields memorial
• An eventual opening timeline

With a construction period approaching 19 months, Pat Hallisey Park will remain one of League City’s largest active public projects for much of the next two years.

From Planning to Construction

For years, Pat Hallisey Park existed primarily as plans, drawings and budget discussions.

Tuesday night’s approval changes that.

The City now has an approved construction contract and a contractor selected to build the facility.

If the current schedule holds, work will begin in January and residents will start seeing the long-planned west-side sports complex take physical shape.

Talk of League City will continue tracking Pat Hallisey Park, including construction progress, traffic impacts, costs and the future memorial planned for the site.

Sources:

City of League City — October 13 Council Meeting Recap
League City — Pat Hallisey Park Construction Contract