City of Bothell & MBA Builders of the Year Dedicate New Play Equipment at Cedar Grove Park

Bothell, Wash. – On Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m., the City of Bothell along with Master Builders Association (MBA) Builders of the Year Bennett Homes and Centex Homes will dedicate a new piece of toddler play equipment at Cedar Grove Park (22414 9th Ave. SE, Bothell). The dedication program will include brief comments from City of Bothell Mayor Mark Lamb, Bennett Homes Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Todd Bennett, Centex Homes Division President Rob Purser, and a City Parks and Recreation Board member. A ribbon-cutting and photo opportunity will follow along with free ice cream treats and other light refreshments.

The equipment was funded by in a partnership with the City of Bothell, Bennett Homes and Centex Homes – the Master Builders Association’s 2005 “Builders or the Year.” Cedar Grove Park was selected due to such high demand from regular park patrons.  The total cost of the new play equipment is approximately $9,000, with each builder donating $2,500 each and the City of Bothell covering the balance including installation costs of approximately $4,500.

“The City of Bothell is excited to add more play equipment to Cedar Grove Park,” said City of Bothell Public Works Director Doug Jacobson.  “Since its grand opening last spring, Cedar Grove Park has become a favorite for many of our citizens and thanks to this partnership, they can benefit from it even more. The City is grateful to Bennett Homes and Centex Homes for their support.”

“We at Bennett Homes feel a strong responsibility to the communities in which we build,” said Bennett Homes CEO Todd Bennett. “We, of course, think our neighborhoods contribute to the vibrance of the City of Bothell, but are also proud to give back in other ways.  This equipment is one small way to provide our support.”
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“Building stronger communities are part of our culture as a local homebuilder. We are excited partner with the City of Bothell and Bennett Homes to help provide additional recreational resources for the local community and Centex homeowners that live in the area” stated Centex Homes Division President Rob Purser.

Cedar Grove Park opened in April 2005, completed with its first phase of development. A combination of City funds, grants and mitigation paid the $944,000 necessary to complete that phase.  Of that amount, $300,000 was provided by the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP), a state grant program administered by the State of Washington Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation. The WWRP helps local, state, and tribal agencies create new parks and protect wildlife habitat for Washington's communities.

Existing park amenities include:
• Basketball court
• One acre playfield
• Parking
• Playground
• Picnic shelter
• Restrooms
• Walking trails.

Phase Two will bring additional walking trails, a sportsfield and additional play equipment.  The City of Bothell is currently researching funding options for the second phase of the park. Cedar Grove Park covers 13.75 acres, ten of which are protected wetlands. It is the second park located in the Snohomish County portion of Bothell, joining Stipek Park, which opened in 1999.

About Centex
Dallas-based Centex (NYSE: CTX), founded in 1950, is one of the nation’s leading home building companies. Centex operates in major U.S. markets in 25 states and delivered more than 39,000 homes in the United States in its most recent fiscal year ended March 31, 2006. Its leading brands include Centex Homes, Fox & Jacobs Homes, CityHomes and Centex Destination Properties.

In addition to its home building operations, Centex’s (www.centex.com) related business lines include mortgage and financial services, home services and commercial construction. These businesses provide operational or financial support to home building operations and are leaders in their respective industries. Centex consistently ranks among the most admired companies in its industry, according to FORTUNE magazine
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