Southwood Park opens in Bozeman near South University District

Community members, Bozeman Mayor Joey Morrison, and local representatives gathered in south Bozeman for June 12’s official opening of the city’s newest park.

Southwood Park is located at the intersection of Stucky Road and South 17th Avenue. The 23-acre park features shaded pavilions, a play structure, an open lawn area and windmill art sculptures.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Katie Irintano, a recreation leader with the City Parks and Recreation Department. “It’s been (several) years, and we’re finally here and ready to open it up.”

Isabel Gostellow, a resident in a neighboring subdivision, walks in Southwood Park with her husband every night.

“It’s really special to have it right here, so close to our apartment,” Gostellow said.

Mitchell Overton, director of Bozeman Parks & Recreation, acknowledged the importance of public park space for quality of life during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“This section ... is associated with some of the high-density development that you see adjacent to this,” Overton said, gesturing to the Highmark Bozeman Apartments & Townhomes behind him. “It’s going to provide critical space for people to get out of their denser homes, relax, and connect with nature and open space.”

As Gallatin County’s population has boomed during the past decade, subdivisions have sprung up across town, with many concentrated in the South University District.

City and state development requirements mandate that developers dedicate a portion of purchased land to park space. Southwood Park is under city parkland management in perpetuity, per Ross Knapper, park planner for the City of Bozeman.

Some South University District residents live in high-density housing near Southwood Park.

“As development and population grow, so too does the need for public green spaces,” Morrison said. “We are consistently on the national leaderboards for acres of park space per resident, and we want to keep it that way.”

Morrison emphasized the park’s value as a public health and safety investment. The City of Bozeman operates and manages more than 40 parks.

“Communities with parks that allow us to feel joyful and gladden our hearts together in solidarity with our neighbors make us safer as a community,” Morrison said. “Each one of these parks that we invest in contributes to both the health and safety of this community.”

Although Friday’s event celebrated the opening of the first 13 acres in Southwood Park, the recreation area is planned to eventually encompass 27 acres. Phase two of the project is projected to be completed in the fall, including a dog park, a skate park, pickleball courts and tennis courts.