Renovations are set to begin this month at Douglass Park in northeast Oklahoma City, bringing a new playground, a new sprayground, an improved basketball court, and a concrete plaza and walkway that will double as a baseball field. The $1.3 million project is expected to wrap up by summer 2027.
As reported by KFOR.com, OKC Parks plans to remove the existing sprayground and rebuild it alongside the new playground as a single combined play area, a design meant to let parents and caregivers keep an eye on kids using both amenities at once.
Melinda McMillan-Miller, OKC Parks director, said the improvements build on existing momentum and aim to sustain the park as a community hub, per the station's report. Douglass Park sits beside two other neighborhood anchors: the Willa D. Johnson Recreation Center and the James E. Stewart Golf Course, both of which the city says give residents opportunities to connect, stay active, and enjoy their community.
A Civic Hub Rooted in Northeast OKC History
The $17.5 million Willa D. Johnson Recreation Center, located at 909 Frederick Douglass Ave., opened in July 2023 as the first multigenerational recreation center built by Oklahoma City in over 40 years, according to KOSU. It's named for Willa D. Johnson, who died in 2022 after becoming the first Black woman elected to the Oklahoma City Council and later serving as an Oklahoma County commissioner, the station reported.
Next door, the James E. Stewart Golf Course honors civil rights leader James E. “Jimmy” Stewart, who served as Oklahoma City NAACP president until 1957 and played a key role in integrating the city, per the Oklahoma Historical Society. The surrounding neighborhood is closely tied to Frederick Douglass High School, established in 1891 as a foundational Black educational and civic institution in Oklahoma City 16 years before Oklahoma statehood, according to research compiled by Clio. Together, the park, recreation center, and golf course offer residents places to connect and stay active.
How a 2017 Bond Vote Is Paying for It
The Douglass Park upgrades are funded through Oklahoma City's 2017 “Better Streets, Safer City” General Obligation Bond program, which authorized $967 million across 13 voter-approved propositions, according to Ballotpedia.
That financing model explains why Oklahoma City periodically returns to voters for new bond packages to keep its infrastructure pipeline moving. In October 2025, residents approved a $2.7 billion general obligation bond package covering 11 propositions and 547 capital projects through 2036, according to the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.
Part of a Broader Northeast OKC Investment Wave
Douglass Park's renovation lands just days after the city approved a separate $5.13 million overhaul of Booker T. Washington Park, as Hoodline previously reported. The back-to-back announcements point to a concentrated push to reinvest in Northeast Oklahoma City's green spaces.
OKC Parks is overseeing the Douglass Park renovation. The exact schedule of park disruptions during the fall 2026 construction phase at Douglass Park has not been detailed publicly.
