Rebuild Tugboat Island project finishes construction, expects to open soon
Published 4:06 pm Friday, March 7, 2025
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
Scenes from the Tugboat Island Reuild slated to open in the coming weeks. (Cesar Cardenas/The News)
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The Rebuild Tugboat Island project has completed construction nearly 30 years after the original project was completed in 1996. The park still needs to be cleared for safety before announcing an opening day.
“It means alot that everybody actually got out and volunteered their own time to do it and from the prior generation to the younger generation to look forward to,” said Nick Gilchriest, a resident of Port Neches, as he visited the park with his son who wanted to see the park before it opened.
The $1 million playground project took place over 2 weeks despite weather delays and rescheduling construction days. The park was constructed in 14 days with the help of hundreds of volunteers from across Southeast Texas. The playground is nearly 20,000 square feet and the park it’s on hosts various events for the city.
Volunteers were able to sign their names on the banners and benches on site to commemorate this historic event. Other benches and walls around the park were painted by students and Teachers from Lamar State College – Port Arthur
The previous Tugboat Island was demolished in 2020 after safety concerns of the playground deteriorating due to age. Fundraising for the park began shortly after, but the organizers were only able to gather $200,000 after four years of gathering donations.
It was then that Ed Hogenson pledged over $720,000 to the project and rallied the community to donate another $100,000 to the playground to meet the donation goal.
