Benbrook Council Member Addresses Robot Park Rumors as Renovation Moves Forward.

As construction continues on Benbrook’s new Robot Park and Castle Park, City Council Place 5 member Sean Moore is addressing what he says are misconceptions surrounding the project.

In two videos posted to social media, Moore explained why the original playgrounds were demolished and why preserving the iconic Robot ultimately wasn’t an option.

According to Moore’s first video, the renovation wasn’t a city-driven idea. He said it began with Benbrook residents who wanted safer, more modern, and fully accessible playgrounds.

From that starting point, the City of Benbrook saved about $1 million for the project and later secured an additional $1 million grant thanks to Texas State Representative, bringing the total investment to roughly $2 million.

After seeing repeated calls online to save the Robot, Moore said he contacted residents who had expressed interest in buying or relocating it. While many liked the idea, he said no one came forward with a workable plan or the funding needed to cover the tens of thousands of dollars required to remove and relocate the structure.

Moore admitted the effort put him in an uncomfortable position, but said he wanted to give the community every opportunity to preserve the Robot if someone was willing to make it happen. He also noted that several city work sessions on the project were open to the public but were lightly attended, all ending with no one stepping up with a solution beyond preservation.

In his second video, Moore said keeping the original Robot would have put the additional $1 million grant at risk because the aging playground no longer met the accessibility and safety standards required by the funding.

Meanwhile, work on the new parks continues.

Demolition is complete, and crews are building the foundations for the new playgrounds. The City of Benbrook has also said the commemorative bricks from the original parks were carefully removed and will be incorporated into the redesigned parks, preserving a piece of the community’s history.

To learn more about the Castle Park and Robot Park Renovation Project, including project renderings and updates, visit https://www.benbrook-tx.gov/779/Castle-Park-and-Robot-Park-Renovation-Pr.