Southlake now owns Old Dragon Stadium. The City Council approved an $8.75 million purchase and sale agreement with Carroll ISD in June 2026, and city leaders plan to turn the site at Carroll Avenue and Dove Road into a park. For the streets around it, a former Friday night venue is about to become a daily neighborhood amenity, and residents will help decide what it looks like.
What did Southlake buy, and for how much?
Community Impact reported on June 24, 2026, that the council approved the $8.75 million agreement, with the purchase funded through the city's Capital Improvements Program. A Fort Worth Star-Telegram report republished by AOL described the property as about 15 acres, covering the stadium and athletic fields, and noted that the Carroll ISD administration building on the same block is not part of the sale. Carroll trustees had approved a letter of intent to sell in November 2025.
The sale was reviewed by the city in stages. Community Impact reported in March 2026 that the Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission recommended a plat revision on Feb. 19, with the council considering it in early March, after which the district could close the sale.
What will the park include?
No final design exists yet. The early ideas the city and its partners have shared include:
- Flexible practice fields.
- A playground.
- A walking trail with tributes to Carroll Dragons football, including teams, coaches, players and state championships.
Community Impact reported in November 2025 that the original field footprint would be preserved, while the bleachers would need updating. Mayor Shawn McCaskill noted at the time that Southlake already has dedicated parks for baseball (Centennial Park) and softball (Bob Jones Park), and that the city lacked a comparable home for football. He also said youth football participation is growing even as Carroll ISD enrollment declines.
Who is shaping the plan?
Southlake Style reported that partners include the Parks and Recreation Board, the Southlake Parks Development Corporation, Carroll ISD and community groups, and the Star-Telegram report named Dragon Youth Football among the collaborators. The city's FY 2027 budget lists, under its partnerships focus area, a commitment to work with residents and stakeholders on "a vision and concept plan" for the park. Planning designs were expected to begin in 2026.
How is the city paying for park work?
The FY 2027 budget overview shows $6 million in cash funding for park system design and development through the Southlake Parks Development Corporation, plus $300,000 from the Park Dedication Fee Fund. The same budget adopts an updated Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. The city reports 34.5 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, a high ratio for a suburb of its size.
Those figures do not mean $6 million is earmarked for Old Dragon Stadium alone. The budget covers the whole park system. But they show the funding mechanism the city uses, and they suggest the park can move forward without new debt.
What does this mean for homes near Carroll Avenue and Dove Road?
For owners close to the site, this is mostly good news, with a few things to watch. Our agents at The Agency Dallas who work Southlake see a few clear effects:
- Walkable green space. A trail and playground within walking distance tend to rank high on buyer wish lists, especially for families with young children.
- A different traffic pattern. Stadium events brought concentrated crowds on certain nights. Practice fields and a park bring steadier, smaller daily use. Parking and access will be worth following as design plans emerge.
- Certainty about the land. Public ownership for park use removes a question that sometimes hangs over large institutional parcels: what might get built there instead.
When will we know more?
The concept plan process is the next public milestone. Residents who live nearby should watch for community input sessions announced by the city and the Parks and Recreation Board. Sellers in the area can reasonably mention the planned park in listing materials, as long as they describe it as planned and avoid promising specific amenities before the design is final.
What else is changing in Southlake's parks and infrastructure?
Old Dragon Stadium is one of several public projects in motion. In the same June 2026 meeting, the council moved forward on a request for nearly $4.13 million from the Texas Water Development Board for the third phase of the Southlake Park project. According to Community Impact, that work would:
- Loop dead-end water mains to improve water quality.
- Improve fire protection along Crescent, Hillside and Southlake Park drives.
- Provide future access to city water for residents who request service.
For owners on those streets, better fire protection and water service are practical improvements that can matter to buyers and insurers alike. Phases one and two began in 2022, and an engineering contract for phase three could reach the council this fall.
The city has a track record of building popular recreation facilities. Community Impact reported that the $4.5 million Southlake Pickleball Complex, opened in February 2024, sold about 3,800 memberships in its first year. That kind of demand is one reason city leaders keep investing in park space.
How does this fit the bigger picture for Southlake buyers?
Southlake has paired a low city tax rate with steady cash investment in parks, and the Old Dragon Stadium purchase follows that pattern. For buyers comparing Southlake with nearby towns, the park system is part of what they are paying for. Our Southlake and Westlake page has more on how neighborhoods across the two towns compare.
A stadium that hosted generations of Carroll football is getting a second life as a place for practice, play and a walk after dinner. The details will come through public meetings over the next year, and our agents at The Agency Dallas will be following them for clients who live nearby.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Old Dragon Stadium?
Old Dragon Stadium is at Carroll Avenue and Dove Road in Southlake. It served as Carroll ISD's football stadium before the district moved games to its newer stadium. Reporting describes the site as about 15 acres covering the stadium and athletic fields. The district's administration building sits nearby but was not included in the sale to the city.
How much did Southlake pay for the stadium?
The Southlake City Council approved a purchase and sale agreement worth $8.75 million in June 2026, according to Community Impact. The purchase is allocated within the city's Capital Improvements Program. Carroll ISD said proceeds from the sale go to the district, which has been selling or repurposing property as enrollment declines.
What amenities are planned for the new park?
Early concepts include flexible practice fields, a playground and a walking trail with tributes to Carroll Dragons football teams, coaches, players and state championships. The original field footprint would be preserved. These are preliminary ideas, and the city has said it will gather community feedback as it develops a formal concept plan for the site.
When will the park open?
No opening date has been announced. Reporting indicated that planning and design work was expected to begin in 2026, and the city's FY 2027 budget commits to developing a vision and concept plan with residents and partners. Construction timing will depend on that design process and on future council approvals.
Will the park affect nearby home values?
No one can promise a specific effect, but planned public green space within walking distance is generally viewed favorably by buyers, especially families. Public ownership also removes uncertainty about what else might be built on a large parcel. Traffic and parking plans will be worth watching as the design takes shape.
Sources
- Community Impact, 3 Southlake City Council actions you may have missed (June 24, 2026)
- Community Impact, Southlake City Council roundup: Old Dragon Stadium plan (Nov. 20, 2025)
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram via AOL, Old Dragon Stadium to become a Southlake park
- Southlake Style, A new chapter for Old Dragon Stadium (Nov. 7, 2025)
- Community Impact, Carroll ISD takes next step in selling Durham property (March 2, 2026)
- City of Southlake, FY 2027 Budget Overview
- Community Impact, Southlake pickleball complex membership nears 4K after first year (March 4, 2025)
