A park was planned for Fort Worth’s Mosier Valley. Residents now have new ideas
After waiting over 10 years for construction of a park and witnessing a groundbreaking ceremony, one of the oldest Black communities in Fort Worth wants the city to pivot and invest in a community center instead.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in February to complete Mosier Valley Park, at 11220 Mosier Valley Road, on the site of what was the segregated Mosier Valley School. In early April, residents said the city entered an area adjacent to the property that did not belong to it, cleared the land, and cut down historic oak trees that were important to the neighborhood.
Now, the community wants the city to shift its efforts and invest in a community center, as the Mosier Valley Property Owners Association is preparing to add resources to the community.
Jeff Pointer, chairman of the Mosier Valley Property Owners Association, says he and the community want better communication and clarity from the city so they can finally have a voice in what is built in their neighborhood.
“I don’t have anything against the city, I’m not fighting with the city, I’m fighting for us,” Pointer said.
Pointer said he wants the city to use the 2026 bond package that is up for a vote this week to help build the community center.
The city and Councilwoman Deborah Peoples did not respond to questions from the Star-Telegram about the idea of a community center being built or whether it would be feasible to use the bond package for such a project.
Earlier this month, the city acknowledged that work on the park was paused due to questions about the property boundaries.
Pointer owns the one-acre plot of land he says the city encroached on earlier this month. The land was passed down to him by his great-grandmother, Beatrice Parker-Green, and he said he plans to use it in an effort to give back to the community where he grew up. On April 20, Pointer and Tonya Jones, assistant chair of the Mosier Valley Property Owners Association, used their own money to buy a portable office building and place it on the land next to the park.
The building, to be called the Mosier Valley Community Office, will provide resources for community homeowners, information on the history of Mosier Valley for visitors, and memorabilia. It will also be a place where cookouts and fundraisers will be held. Pointer says several local businesses are committed to donating to the office. Plans call for an employee to be hired, but for now it will be staffed by volunteers from the Mosier Valley Property Owners Association board.
The association is in negotiation with the owners of the Mosier Valley schoolhouse, currently located in Bedford, to purchase it and move it back to Mosier Valley. It would be east of the park in the area where the trees were cut down. A hair salon now operates out of the building.
Pointer says the school building will be used for activities such as after-school and science, technology, engineering and math programs, urban farming activities and financial literacy classes.
Pointer says the group plans to open the office building by Juneteenth.
History of Mosier Valley as a freedmen settlement
Mosier Valley was founded in 1870 and is northeast of downtown Fort Worth, off West Euless Boulevard, and south of Euless. It was a freedmen settlement built by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War.
The schoolhouse, Mosier Valley School, was established in 1924. In 1949, it became part of the Euless school district. Segregation laws prevented Black students from integrating into Euless schools in 1950. The Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district was integrated in 1968, 10 years after it formed, and the Mosier Valley school was closed. The Texas Historical Commission placed a historical marker at the site.
Former City Councilwoman Gyna Bivens spearheaded the park idea, and in February 2014, the city acquired 4 acres of the old school site from the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district to create Mosier Valley Park. In December 2017, the city acquired an additional acre. The first phase, completed in May 2019, included a parking lot, walkways, and the construction of a concrete cap over what was the school’s foundation, which will be used for a plaza.
Discussions about the park have been ongoing for over 10 years, as delays have repeatedly pushed it back. The park was supposed to begin construction in January 2025, but a delay occurred when the city decided to bundle multiple projects to attract more competitive bids from better contractors.
The park is to include a multi-sport court, a trail, exercise stations, a playground, and an expanded parking lot. The project was expected to be completed by December.
