McCoy's to Replace Damaged Trees in Galveston's Adoue Park

As crews began this past July removing trees that Hurricane Ike damaged beyond repair, residents of the neighborhood surrounding Adoue Park bid a tearful farewell to their beloved park trees. Today, McCoy’s Building Supply announced that they have partnered with the city of Galveston and are working to restore the public park.

"Our company is so proud to have been founded on the Island, and we are excited about helping Galveston's recovery through this special beautification project," McCoy’s CEO Brian McCoy said. "McCoy's is here to stay, and we are honored to be a part of the rebuilding process."

The 83-store retailer has deep ties to Galveston Island, opening their first location here in 1927. CEO Brian McCoy is a Galveston native.

"As the fourth generation of McCoys to be in the business, our family owes much to the city of Galveston for allowing our successful start in business 82 years ago," said McCoy’s Director of Field Support, Meagan McCoy Jones.

With the help of FEMA and the Texas Forest Service (TFS), city officials cleared 17 trees from Adoue Park in July.

"It was very emotional for all of us," said Yolanda Moran, 63, who lives a block from the park located at 12th Street and Ball Street. "My son played in that park and I played in that park when I was young. When I see these huge oaks falling over, it’s almost like a big, crippled lion. At first I was really upset when they started cutting down the trees, but now I realize that they have to for safety reasons."

The City of Galveston and the Galveston Island Tree Conservancy gave unanimous support for McCoy’s plan to restore the park. McCoy’s will work with an arborist to care for the remaining trees and soil.

The retail supplier of lumber, hardware and building materials intends to replant trees on the property and work to restore the park to its original glory. The plan provides for maximum shade for playground equipment used by neighboring Rosenberg school yet leaves open areas traditionally used by the community for park activities. Replacement trees, including TFS recommended live oaks, bald cypresses and magnolia trees, will be placed in close proximity to where trees were removed.

"Overall on public property there are 45,000 trees that were killed or dying that were marked for removal by FEMA," said TFS urban forester Pete Smith. "Adoue park was hit by the storm surge in a similar pattern to the east end of the island and lost 90 percent of its trees. With replanting these 17 trees, I think it’s a great starting place for replanting in Galveston. That’s the kind of ongoing support that’s really going to be necessary for the next 15 years to restore the whole canopy of the city."

About McCoy’s

Founded in 1927, McCoy’s is a retail building supply company providing a complete array of building materials and services to its customer base of those who are "born to build." The San Marcos, Texas-based McCoy’s employs over 2,000 people and operates 83 stores in five states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The company can be found online at www.mccoys.com.