West Port Arthur residents will have opportunity, starting Wednesday, to grow their own fruits and vegetables in an acre-size community park not far from the Valero refinery.

The West Port Arthur Community Garden Association and Valero will open the long awaited local resource from 1-2 p.m. Wednesday. The park, located next to the West Side Development Center, will include a pavilion, raised garden beds, children’s playground and restroom facilities.

The project grew from a December 2016 settlement involving Valero Port Arthur and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. TCEQ had lodged allegations against the refinery — most concerned unauthorized emissions — that the company denied.

Valero agreed to a penalty of $279,151, but sought an “offset” amount of $139,575 for a supplemental environmental project — in this case, creation of the park.

But the company invested $950,000 into the park, which is located on a rectangular lot on Eighth Street, Valero said at the park’s groundbreaking last spring. About $500,000 was reserved in trust to help with maintenance and upkeep.

Valero and the garden association will open the park Wednesday with city officials and other community leaders. Planting — Valero volunteers will be on hand — will be from 2-4 p.m.

The Garden Association will oversee the park and manage it and the garden.

Houston-based Terralab, a landscape architectural firm, was contracted to design the park, Valero announced last year. Native plants were to be introduced there.