Written by: Gary Packan, Parks and Rec Director
Last year, the Denton Rotary Club turned 100, and they decided to give Denton a really wonderful gift. So, they reached out to us in the Parks and Rec Department to discuss a way to create a new amenity in Quakertown Park.
We all wanted something that would provide a lasting benefit to the community’s education and music heritage. After much discussion, an idea of a mini-amphitheater next to the Emily Fowler Library started to formulate. “The Nook” started to become a reality.
We quickly began to work on plans to help this idea come to fruition. Former Parks Landscape Architect, Glenn McLain, designed an outdoor amphitheater to create an intimate, shaded area that provides the library, parks and recreation, and community events a nook used for various programs. We wanted something that the community would enjoy all year- during larger festivals and smaller programs like a storytime.
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It was also important that the Nook would blend with the architecture of the library and provide an expanded visual experience for users indoors while enjoying a book or conducting research.
The Nook was estimated to cost between $50,000-$70,000. The Rotary Club immediately began fundraising so the project could begin. Along with the Emily Fowler Library Foundation, they raised a total of $55,000. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, construction was delayed until July.
On July 30, an official virtual groundbreaking took place with participants from the City of Denton, Rotary Club, and the Library Department shoveling dirt to celebrate the new park asset. Construction is now underway, and we’re expecting the Nook to be completed around the end of September.
With the pandemic, it’s easy to get caught in the daily up and downs. But, we’re looking forward to the day when in-person events are in Quakertown Park again, when the Library can hold an in-person storytime, and everyone can enjoy the outdoors together.
In the meantime, we’re working to improve the Denton park system for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.