When Boerne Heritage Volkspark opens near Alder and Toepperwein roads in spring 2027, what will be different somewhere else in town? Part of the answer is that Volkspark takes over jobs other places have been covering. Pickleball moves off courts the city borrowed at Boerne City Park. The old Northside skate park's footprint becomes a playground. Dog owners get an off-leash park inside the city.
The money behind it is also unusual for Boerne. The city puts the project at $17.25 million on nearly 40 acres. Council member Ty Wolosin told My Boerne News it is "the single largest parks investment the City has ever made."
What the September update says is already in place
The most recent public progress report came at the September 22, 2026 Boerne City Council meeting. Staff told council that the park's electrical service and main water line were finished, and listed several other milestones.
| Element | Phase one plan | Status at the Sept. 22 update |
|---|---|---|
| Dog park | Dog park | "Officially released" to the Parks Department |
| Splash pad | Splashpad beside the playground | Mechanical room and water features installed |
| Site lighting | Serves two lit multi-use fields and the grounds | About 90% installed |
| Stormwater and low-impact drainage | Underground filtration and detention basins | About 75% installed |
| Park road and parking lot | Paved road through the park | Road base work underway that week |
| Playground | All-abilities playground | Built on the old skate park site, with a pour-in-place surface |
The full phase one list also includes two covered basketball courts, 12 outdoor pickleball courts, a food truck park and a half-mile paved ADA walking trail. In its October 7 budget roundup, the city still listed the opening as spring 2027.
Pickleball moves north and tennis gets its courts back
Volkspark's 12 pickleball courts matter most for players already on Boerne City Park's courts. In early 2025 the city resurfaced two of City Park's eight tennis courts and split them into eight pickleball courts. Community Impact reported at the time that the setup was temporary. Once courts were built at the new park, those courts would "transition back into tennis courts." The same report said the City Park courts came after members of Boerne's pickleball community pushed for dedicated space until the new park was finished.
So the opening reshuffles two sports. Pickleball players get a larger, purpose-built complex. City Park, under the 2025 plan, goes back to a full set of tennis courts.
The fees have changed as well. The city's FY2027 fee ordinance took effect October 1, 2026, and lists these pickleball rates:
- City resident membership: free
- Nonresident membership: $360 per year
- Court time for members: $5 per court per hour, two-hour maximum
- Court time for nonmembers: $20 per court per hour, two-hour maximum
- Tournament rental: $500 per four courts per day, plus a $250 refundable security deposit
That tournament line is priced in four-court blocks. Volkspark's 12 courts work out to three blocks, which is enough to rent part of the complex for an event and leave the rest open. Check current rates with Boerne Parks & Recreation before you book.
The skate park's footprint becomes the playground
The old Northside Community Park was never empty land. The city bought the site after voters approved a bond program in 2007. Over the years it gained a skate park and a restroom building. When construction started, the Boerne Star reported that the whole site, including the skate park, restrooms and fields, closed in August 2025.
At the September council meeting, staff walked through the new layout starting from that corner and said the playground will sit where the skate park was. The renderings showed a pour-in-place play surface that carries the nature theme used across the park. The phase one amenity list doesn't include a skate park. For families with young children, the site becomes a bigger draw. For skaters who used the old Northside park, it is now a different place.
Much of the $17.25 million is underground
The parts of the project that took the most work are the hardest to see from Alder Road. At the September meeting, staff said the low-impact development features are all underground, and that they make up "a big majority of the project."
My Boerne News described how the system works. A perforated underground drain collects stormwater and filters it through a mix of clay and soil before it reaches one of two main detention basins. Native plants and trees along the way filter the runoff further. The city says this is the first time drainage features like these have been used in a public green space in Boerne or Kendall County.
The planting plan follows the same approach. The design keeps more than 96% of the existing trees, adds nearly 100 new ones and leaves several acres undisturbed. A 5,500-gallon rainwater harvest tank near the food truck area will supply volunteers from the Boerne chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, who will use the water on nearby landscaping. The two multi-use fields get a high-performance irrigation system meant to cut water waste and keep the turf playable year-round.
Funding comes mainly from the 2022 bond program, plus a $750,000 grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife. According to the Boerne Star's budget coverage, the adopted FY2027 budget includes $720,000 to run the park in its first year. That covers staffing, maintenance and equipment.
Why the new park has a German name
The name follows the same idea of fitting the park into Boerne's history. City Council voted unanimously on June 23, 2026 to rename Northside Community Park as Boerne Heritage Volkspark. According to the Boerne Star, council members submitted 14 names. "Boerne Heritage Park" ranked highest, with Boerne Commons, Boerne Erbschaft Park, Volkspark, Boerne Community Park and North Boerne Community Park close behind.
Wolosin argued that "Heritage" and "Commons" were too common on Texas park signs. He proposed pairing the top choice with a German word to honor the immigrants who settled Boerne. In the Star's account, he said:
"There is no uniqueness, which I think, that's one thing about our community, is the uniqueness. Boerne itself is a unique name."
Volkspark is German for "people's park" or "public park." District 5 council member Joseph Macaluso summed up the compromise this way: "To make it work, you just marry them." District 2 council member Joe Bateman urged caution about a name that is "difficult to pronounce."
Between now and spring
Until the grand opening, the amenities Volkspark will consolidate are spread around town. For pickleball, that means the temporary courts at Boerne City Park. The city's own FAQ points dog owners to the 2-acre off-leash dog park at Kendall County's Joshua Springs Park & Preserve, 716 FM 289 in Comfort. Kendall County lists the park as open 365 days a year. From October 1 through April 30, hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., which covers every weekend between publication and Volkspark's spring opening.
The dog park at Volkspark was handed over to the Parks Department in September. The city's project page and council meetings are where construction updates are posted. Staff's September report was its first to council since February.
If you're weighing a home on Boerne's north side and want to know how the new park and the shifts at City Park change the picture, Alexis Weigand Real Estate can map it street by street. Schedule a consultation.
