UP Centennial Celebration Plans Continue

The city of University Park will celebrate its 100th anniversary in April 2024.

Recently, the city council approved a $64,600 contract with Commercial Ideas LLC to create a 150-page commemorative book detailing the city’s history and for videography services to compile video histories from city leaders and footage of the city’s upcoming centennial celebration week activities. 

The book is expected to be available for pre-order in April 2024 and printed in the summer of 2024. The videos are expected to be shown during the city’s centennial celebration activities and be made available via a new community memory website and the University Park Public Library.

The University Park City Council approved a resolution March 7 appointing members to the centennial celebration legacy advisory group and planning/action group.

The legacy advisory group is charged with coordinating programs with groups like Preservation Park Cities and city departments, potentially coming up with a legacy project to commemorate the centennial, and more, while the planning group is charged with planning events activities, including some throughout the school year for youth, helping to inform the community about the festivities, and more. 

The committees are expected to brief the city council on proposed centennial celebration activities later this summer.

In other news:

• Dunaway and Associates completed the first phase of the city’s Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan. The first phase involved an inventory and needs assessment that also included an analysis of population and demographics and a recreation program analysis. Dunaway Engagement Manager Brad Moulton said they’ve moved into demand analysis and needs assessment involving setting goals and objectives for the parks master plan. Moulton said the next phase will involve creating priority rankings, an action plan, an implementation plan, and a preliminary master plan before the final master plan.
• The city council approved an interlocal agreement with the town of Highland Park for a school resource officer and D.A.R.E officer for Highland Park ISD. The city and the town of Highland Park split the costs with the city providing 75% and the town providing 25% of the cost for both the resource officer and D.A.R.E. officer.