This news article will explain and explore the history behind Lovenskiold Park, one of Corpus Christi’s most well known parks.
Lovenskiold Park was named after former mayor, railroad engineer, and dentist Perry Gray Lovenskiold. Lovenskiold Park on Antelope Street and Brownlee Street is named in his honor. (Ref: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/lovenskiold-perry-gray)
The City of Corpus Christi was acquired in 1937. A 0.7 acre lot of land was acquired for park space at Antelope Street and Brownlee Street. This was a "special use" park. (Ref: https://www.oklahoman.com/article/feed/1006396/bridge-design-to-take-more-right-of-way-in-tc-ayers-park)
Lovenskiold Park was the most neglected park and was most lacking in park facilities in much need of recreation grounds in a section stretching to the western boundary from the bluff for more than 20 years. Lovenskiold Park sat in a belt of the city that was considered to be the most neglected part of the city. Corpus Christi Times called Lovenskiold Park “one of the least attractive parks in the city” in 1945. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/757719940/)
“Lovenskiold Park is in a belt of the city most neglected and most lacking in park facilities a section stretching to the western boundary from the bluff. It is also the most thickly populated and consequently most in need of recreation grounds. Little hope is held tor adding park space here as is now every expensive. It has some playground equipment a few scattered and forlorn trees and shrubs. Last spring the park department added concrete walks all around it installed a drinking fountain and repaired the bandstand. Despite its age and many attempts at beautification Lovenskiold is one of the least attractive parks in the city.”
A program to recondition Lovenskiold Park was authorized by Commissioner Green Moffett in May of 1945 after much demanding. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/757754263/)
“New facilities for Lovenskiold and Cole Parks were authorized yesterday by Commissioner Green Moffett and reconditioning of others for the summer season was begun. Four public toilets will be installed in the ground floor of the bandstand in Lovenskiold Park. Moffett said after a consultation with Alexis McCormick, city engineer, who inspected the building and found it suitable for installation of two restrooms with separate entrances for men and women. They will contain two toilets each”
Lovenskiold Park once had a bandstand and restroom. The bandstand was torn down in the early 1950s.The restroom stayed. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/758165285/)
The City of Corpus Christi approved all of about 40% percent of Lovenskiold Park at Brownlee Street and Antelope to the State Highway Department for $23,000. The land is bring taken for Interslate Highway 37 in 1960. 5 lots from Lovenskiold Park were to the State Highway Department for Interstate Highway 37 in 1960 for passage. The I 37 expressway was routed nearby. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/756033857/)
“Dr. Perry G Lovenskiold longtime dentist here who served as Mayor of Corpus Christi after the 1919 storm Lake Corpus Christi was originally called Lake Lovenskiold. A small park on Antelope Street was named Lovenskiold Park — and it is said to be still there but I have not seen it since the expressway was routed nearby. Thus do we lose some of the fabric of our heritage each time a change is made.”
By the 1980s, Lovenskiold Park became a crime haven known for attracting drug addicts, winos, vandals, and prostitutes. “Lovenskiold Park at Brownlee and I-37 hies a restroom and amnesty for its drinking denizens.” (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/758165285/)
City officials have said troubles at Lovenskiold Park have included drug use and crime. Many complained the park was a haven for drugs and crime instead of a place for families to enjoy the outdoors. So Lovenskiold Park was fenced off in November 2015 to keep out transients, drug use, and crime. The decision to shut down Lovenskiold Park is proving to be beneficial for the community and nearby business owners. Police noticed a drop in crime after Lovenskiold Park had been closed for about 3 months. (Ref: https://web.archive.org/web/20160227113750/https://www.kristv.com/story/31328645/lovenskiold-park-to-remain-closed-until-further-notice)
The decision to shut down Lovenskiold Park is proving to be beneficial for the community and nearby business owners.
Many complained the park was a haven for drugs and crime instead of a place for families to enjoy.
The park which is located near Interstate 37 and Crosstown, has been closed for about three months and since then, police say they're noticing a drop in bad activity there.
This fence has been up since November and was built around the park to keep out transients, drug use and assaults that had been plaguing this area for quite some time. The city has been working alongside CCPD to figure out what the best option will be for the future of this park but as of right now, as long as the fence is working, and keeping out crime, it will stay up.
Capt. Robert Alvarado with the CCPD said, "We'll get together with the City Parks and Rec Department and decide what's going to be done with that immediate area however because of the closure of that park it's increased crime in the immediate area. The business owners are a lot happier though."
City parks crews, with help from police, had shut down Lovenskiold Park, a park known for drug activity in November 2015. This time Lovenskiold Park was shut down for good. Lovenskiold Park was plagued with drugs, homelessness, assaults, and crime. City parks crews hoped to clean up the park and make it safe for everyone to use. (Ref: https://web.archive.org/web/20151125210113/https://www.kztv10.com/story/30591181/city-closes-park-over-drugs)
City parks crews, with help from police, have temporarily shut down a park known for drug activity.
A large fence was constructed around Lovenskiold Park near City Hall Monday afternoon.
The park is well-known for homeless people overdosing on drugs there. Police have responded to dozens of calls there over the last couple of months.
So, the Corpus Christi Police Department along with the City Parks and Recreation department have decided to close the park, along Interstate 37 and the Crosstown Expressway, for at least 90 days.
After that time period, they will meet and reevaluate the situation. They hope to clean up the park and make it safe for everyone to use.
Corpus Christi Caller announced the permanent closure of Lovenskiold Park under the heading of “Lovenskiold Park closed indefinitely” in November 2015. Lovenskiold park, once a popular place for synthetic drugs, now has a fence now in place to try to prevent loitering and drug use from taking place there. (Ref: https://www.caller.com/news/local/lovenskiold-park-closed-indefinitely-253d54ff-256c-6c56-e053-0100007f2a1a-353108821.html)
The Salvation Army had offered to adopt Lovenskiold Park in 2015. The Salvation Army had offered to adopt Lovenskiold Park as part of their incentive to the city in hopes this effort would would improve the park’s current condition. (Ref: https://www.virtualbx.com/construction-preview/corpus-christi-salvation-army-to-build-transition-housing/)
“One incentive offered by The Salvation Army, as part of its application, is a commitment to adopt Lovenskiold Park, a city park that is directly across Mexico Street to the west of the proposed facility. This would improve the park’s current condition, staff noted.”
The city is working with the Texas Department of Transportation to determine what the park will look like after the Harbor Bridge construction is completed. However the future for/of Lovenskiold Park is unclear. (Ref: https://www.oklahoman.com/article/feed/1006396/bridge-design-to-take-more-right-of-way-in-tc-ayers-park)
T.C. Ayers Park and Lovenskiold Park, were considered significant recreational resources according to the City of Corpus Christi. However they reflect a lesser degree of significance based on the low funding priority to assigned properties by the City of Corpus Christi. Almost all use of Lovenskiold Park would involve permanent incorporation of approximately 45 percent of the land; 55 percent of the park would remain and development of recreational amenities at Ben Garza Park would offset the loss of function at the existing park. There would be a medium degree of remaining harm to Lovenskiold Park. (Ref: https://ccharborbridgeproject.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/us-181-harbor-bridge-draft-eis-section-2-0-alternatives.pdf)
Mitigation for the impacts to Lovenskiold Park would be in the form of enhancement of Ben Garza Park, a much larger regional park less than a half-mile away from Lovenskiold Park. No effect on provision of public services; impact to Lovenskiold Park-functions to be replaced at existing Ben Garza Park. Loss of Lovenskiold Park functions to be replaced at existing Ben Garza Park. The No Build Alternative would not provide new park facilities to replace T.C. Ayers Park or Lovenskiold park, thus perpetuating the current low-usage patterns due to lack of well-maintained amenities. (Ref: https://ccharborbridgeproject.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/us-181-harbor-bridge-draft-eis-section-4-0-environmental-consequences.pdf)
The No Build Alternative would also not provide a shared-use path for pedestrian and bicycle access to and from North Beach, which could encourage exercise. Conceptual plans to offset the remaining impacts to Lovenskiold Park after minimization include monetary compensation for the development of park amenities at nearby Ben Garza Park. (Ref: https://ccharborbridgeproject.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/us-181-harbor-bridge-draft-eis-section-4-0-environmental-consequences.pdf)
Lovenskiold Park is located at 1600 Antelope Street, Corpus Christi, Texas, US 78401.
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