Since opening in 1987, east Montgomery County’s A.V. ‘Bull’ Sallas Park in New Caney has  been a popular gathering site for youth sports and treasured community events such as the East Montgomery County Fair & Rodeo. Named to honor long-time Montgomery County Commissioner Bull Sallas and his passion and commitment to community service, the park and sports complex has been home to local baseball and softball leagues and community fairs and festivals, but more recently had struggled to meet the needs of the fast-growing area of New Caney. Thanks to funding from Montgomery County, the new Sallas Park turned aging baseball and softball fields into three regulation football fields (also capable of serving soccer), much-needed paved parking and infrastructure support to carry the location well into the future.

M2L Associates was the prime consultant on this large, fast-tracked project, whose aggressive four-month schedule was key to ensuring readiness for fast-approaching youth football leagues as well as upcoming fair events. Working closely with Montgomery County and Precinct 4 staff, M2L designers brought deep expertise and precision experience to the project, adding key amenities to expand the form and function while incorporating smart design to optimize safety, accessibility and sustainability.

First, existing sports fields and unpaved parking areas were reconfigured to make room for three new regulation-sized football fields to accommodate new youth sports programming and other recreational activities. To support increased attendance demands throughout the year, the renovation introduced a new 400-car paved lot with paved walkways and pads, reconfigured to optimize accessibility and safety while reducing congestion during the site’s most well-attended games and events.

The project included significant sustainability updates, such as using recycled water from the existing wet detention pond to irrigate the sports fields and using recirculated water at the splash pad. The rainwater reuse system conserves significant potable water, saving  taxpayers money and underscoring the county’s goal to prioritize environmental stewardship. Flood detention and trail improvements rounded out the scope of work on this phase of the project.