Community partners team up to open new Palomino Park on South Side

In partnership with San Antonio Sports, the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation, and the San Antonio Area Foundation, Palo Alto College opened Palomino Park, an open-access community park which combines natural elements with traditional park structures.

With nearly 8,000 children residing in the neighborhoods surrounding the College, there is a need for additional park infrastructures to support and encourage outdoor activities across southern sectors of San Antonio. Of the 73 parks in the city, only four are located within three miles of Palo Alto College.

"With this new park, we look forward to serving the large presence of children connected to our campus and our neighboring community," said Dr. Robert Garza, president of Palo Alto College. "By providing a positive point of access to College, we hope our neighbors know that Palo Alto College is a place where we build up our community through learning and engaging with one another."

Palomino Park was made possible through a $50,000 grant awarded through the San Antonio Sports School Parks program with funding from the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, along with support from the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, a San Antonio Area Foundation fund.

"This is the first San Antonio Sports School Park on a college campus and fills a need for both the parents who are in class and the community surrounding Palo Alto College," said Russ Bookbinder, president and CEO of San Antonio Sports. "Increasing San Antonio's park access is a win-win for both the community and the college."

The Park includes a playground with picnic tables and charcoal grills. Strategically placed in close proximity to an existing fitness trail and soccer field, this new space provides a family-friendly environment aiming to encourage community fitness and educational awareness. The addition of a park at Palo Alto College supports the school's mission to empower the community for success.

"Since our founding nearly 35 years ago, a critical component of Palo Alto College's mission has been to create and expand access points for community members to connect with the College," said Dr. Garza. "In serving the southernmost sectors of San Antonio and Bexar County, Palo Alto College believes that supporting students of all ages helps influence a more favorable path toward a successful life."

Related Content
"New Community Park Opens on the Southside" - Spectrum News, Oct. 15, 2019
"Exposure to a college atmosphere can change lives" - Southside Reporter (a publication of San Antonio Express-News), Oct. 15, 2019