Opelousas is home to two parks, the North City Park and the South City Park.

The two parks have been a favorite attraction in the community for decades and now, the city is looking into expanding the parks.

Mayor Reggie Tatum says a master plan is in the works that would give city parks a face lift. “As part of the master plan, the South Park’s pool was supposed to be closed anyway to utilize our whole park system in Opelousas.”

The North City Park’s pool opened Wednesday for the summer.

Mayor Tatum says the master plan has been an ongoing project for over a decade and he wants to bring more of the plan to life under his administration. “They were supposed to make walking trails, RV parks and also a big lake, a fishing lake where people can come fish, sit around the trees and just relax.”

The North City Park could also see a larger pool which he says an Olympic-sized indoor pool is in the plan.

Life-long resident, Marylena Monroe, is eager to see more activity in the Parks. “I was born and raised in Opelousas so this is the park we’ve always played in since we were kids. So definitely it’s time for a change. We need something different, something more welcoming for the kids too.”

Resident, Latishia Freeman, says she would like to see a larger walking trail added to the parks. “By us walking sometimes we don’t see the cars behind us, but if we have a trail that we could actually walk on we would feel more comfortable.”

Parks and Recreation Director, Clarence Watson, says they have already added new additions to the park. “On the South Park, we have brand new tennis courts that people are using every day and on the North Park we have brand new basketball courts.”

Watson says he’s excited about the future of the city’s parks.