People who use Oliveira Park in Brownsville say it's been ignored for decades.

Gerardo Gomez has been coming to Oliveira Park since he was 10 years old, and while he's grown up, he says the park hasn't.

"I think it's kind of stayed the same. I don't think there's been a difference at all," Gomez said.

But now, nearly $2 million in improvements are on the way.

New bleachers, new restrooms, a splash pad, and a fitness center make up the nearly $2 million worth of upgrades coming to Oliveira Park.

City Parks and Recreation Director Sean De Palma says the projects reflect years of city planning and community requests.

"As professionals, we need to continuously improve the service and the quality of what we're offering our citizens," De Palma said.

Gomez says the investment makes sense, especially with how busy the park gets.

"I think it's well spent from what I remember, there's a whole lot of soccer teams and people that actually use this park," Gomez said.

De Palma says they did an assessment on the park to find out how many people are using it. He says the upgrades will meet the demand.

"You're at 2,500 to 3,000 people throughout the day using this facility," De Palma said.

Most of the current projects will be completed in the next six weeks, with only the splash pad extending into summer 2026.

The city says there will be no full park closures, just sectioned-off areas as work wraps up, and more changes are planned, including an additional restroom and future renovations to the rec center.

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