The newly opened Joya playground in Farmers Branch recently closed for “essential repairs.” The park is expected to reopen on March 11, 2024.
Joya, which opened on Jan. 20, has already seen great popularity. However, with the large amounts of people visiting the playground, repairs are already needed. The city began building a temporary fence around the playground on Feb. 29 while repairs are underway.
"It has been by any measure a phenomenal success," said Jeff Brady, the director of communication for Farmers Branch. "However, that success has presented some real challenges for the equipment we've installed here and for the neighborhood surrounding Joya Playground."
According to Farmers Branch Parks and Recreation, the city will also be working to improve safety, address community concerns and add new park rules.
WFAA reported some parents have concerns about the popularity of the park causing safety issues. Robert Diaz, the director of parks and recreation for the city, told WFAA that an excessive number of individuals were parking along the roadside bordering the park, causing traffic congestion and posing a potential hazard to families. The city intends to have staff to oversee crowds at the park during peak hours upon its reopening.
The one-of-a-kind park faced challenges even before opening. As Local Profile previously reported, Joya’s unique model was one that didn’t exist prior to opening. The city worked with six playground manufacturers in the early stages and only one developer (Kompan) ended up working with the city for the $5.5 million playground.
“With the unforgiving Texas heat, playgrounds are rarely used once temperatures get above 90,” Mike Mashburn, the visionary behind the project and VP deputy city manager for Farmers Branch, previously told Local Profile. “Allowing families to access something of this magnitude in the early evening, especially on weekends, made a lot of sense.”
During the March repairs, the remaining portions of Oran Good Park will be open.
