User:Conniemarronassiff/sandbox

{{suppress categories| {{Short description|Park in Houston, Texas, US}} {{Infobox park Houston, Texas, U.S. }}
 * name = Tony Marron Park
 * type = Municipal
 * location = East End,
 * coords = {{Coord|29.758327|-95.328958|region:US|format=|display=inline,title}}
 * area = {{convert|19.07|acre|km2|1}}
 * created = 1987, {{Time ago|1987}}
 * website = https://buffalobayou.org/our-work/tony-marron-park/

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 * display=
 * text=Location of Tony Marron Park
 * type=point
 * title=Tony Marron Park
 * description=Location of Location of Tony Marron Park, Houston, Texas
 * coord={{Coord|29.758327|-95.328958|region:US}}
 * marker=park
 * zoom=13
 * frame=yes

Tony Marron Park, is a public park in Houston, Texas. It is situated on the east side of Houston and spans over 19.07 acres between Navigation and Clinton streets. The park was acquired by the City of Houston in 1987 and was successfully restored from a formerly underutilized green space by The Park People.

History
In 1987, the land was acquired by the City of Houston and named North York Park in 1987. In 1998 the park was renamed in honor of the Hispanic activist Tony Marron Sr. Marron was an immigrant who settled in Houston in 1926, and worked to improve conditions in Houston's East End, leading such projects as the renovation Hidalgo Park, advocating for the closing cantinas near schools, lobbying for the construction of a new building and parking lot for Stanaker Library, and founding "El Centro."

Philanthropists Rich and Nancy Kinder through their foundation, the Kinder Foundation, pledged $100 million to the expand Buffalo Bayou Park to Houston's East End. Projects include restoring, expanding and improving park land including the Tony Marron and Japhet Creek Park. "Tony Marron Park will go from 19 acres to about 40 acres,” according to former Mayor Turner. “And Japhet Creek extends right into the Historic Fifth Ward. New parks, new trails, two pedestrian bridges connecting the Greater East End to Fifth Ward, enhancing our regional network.”

Facilities
The multi-use park makes room for soccer and baseball fields, children's playground, walking trails and beautiful landscaping. There are also convenient benches, trash cans, picnic tables and drinking fountains.

Tony Marron Park will become a gathering place for Greater East End and Fifth Ward residents and will serve as the primary green space destination for Buffalo Bayou East. The open space anchor for the area will provide residents with a wide range of activities and feature improved sports fields, new nature play area, and venues for special events and festivals. The Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan brings the community's vision for its waterfront to life. The plan envisions integrating new parks and trails, dynamic recreational and cultural destinations, and connections to surrounding neighborhoods.

As the first major step toward implementing the Master Plan for Buffalo Bayou East, Tony Marron Park will soon be the largest public park in the East End, serving as a nexus for community gatherings and recreation for residents from both sides of the Bayou. Tony Marron Park, located along the southern bank of Buffalo Bayou in Houston's Second Ward neighborhood, sits at a critical intersection of community and ecology. The landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc. redesign for the park will dramatically increase the size, programmatic range, and environmental complexity of the neighborhood park that exists today.

Expansion of Tony Marron Park will also include a new street, Marron Parkway connecting North York Street to Lockwood Drive and will provide park frontage and access at the park as well as community access via pedestrian and vehicular connections at Lockwood Park. It will also address traffic issues for residents by removing large trucks from their streets.