Nestled in the heart of Woodway, Texas, sits a building that has meant more to its community than any set of blueprints could convey. For decades, the Woodway Family Center has been more than just brick and mortar—it has been a place where kids learned to play fair, neighbors became friends, and community spirit found a home.
But now, that legacy is under threat.
In 1971, local visionaries Newman Copeland and John Bowden granted land to the Waco Boys Club with a very clear purpose: the property was to be used exclusively for youth recreation. The legal deed included a reversionary clause, stating that if the land was ever used for anything else, ownership would revert back to the original grantors or their successors. It was a safeguard—a promise to future generations.
Fast forward to 2004. The nonprofit Woodway Family Center, formerly the Woodway Boys' Club, transferred the property to the City of Woodway. The new deed repeated the same reversionary clause, ensuring that even under city management, the property would continue to serve the same mission: community and youth recreation. This wasn’t a casual handoff. It was rooted in a shared understanding and mutual respect for the land’s purpose.
Now, in 2025, the City of Woodway is moving forward with plans to demolish the center—without a publicly confirmed plan to replace it with a like-kind facility bearing the same protections.
This is not a misunderstanding. It is a direct contradiction of the binding legal agreements made in 1971 and again in 2004. The reversionary clauses in both deeds are clear: if this land is not used for youth recreation, it reverts. Period.
1971 Deed
The implications are profound. Legally, the city accepted the property with the reversionary clause intact. Ethically, the community expected the city to honor that promise. Demolishing the building without preserving its purpose doesn’t just risk legal challenge—it betrays decades of public trust.
What’s at stake is more than land. It’s the heritage of a community. It’s a promise made to kids who grew up on its basketball courts, and to parents who found a safe haven for their children. It’s a symbol of what a town can be when it invests in its people.
This isn’t about resisting change. It’s about protecting the spirit of a place that helped define Woodway. If we lose that without a fight, what else are we willing to give away?
The future of the Woodway Family Center is a test of our values. And the community deserves a voice in what happens next.
Comments
In Woodway Texas last night, a group of ambitious people that have no legal training, joined together for some unknown reason yet to be revealed, literally stripped a family unilaterally of their rights under a deed that was put in place to benefit a Children’s charity. I am not telling you a story about the CCP or North Korea, but again this happened in your community. Our Mayor Qourzal proclaims his Christianity in his social media posts, prays before the Council and he is on the faculty at Hankamer School of Business at Baylor. I personally have never read in any text or heard from any pulpit that you can covet your neighbors deed, and destroy a charitable gift that benefits children. What I have been taught is that people that do this way are sinners, hypocrites and evil. And of course, The Waco Tribune, and KWTX who attack anyone that attempts to make the Council accountable, are silent.
I have been thinking about how we elect our Mayor. After watching this play out yesterday, there are serious risks, rights being violated, and cronyism on display with our current leadership. People need to be able to vote for a Mayor based on integrity, how they treat people, and how they walk in the faith they talk about. Our present situation is because of how we elect our Mayor today. If you look at campaign contributions posted on the Woodway web site for 2025 you will see money being distributed by Qourzal to Gilman and Whitby. Qourzal out raised both of them. He shared campaign money, they voted for him for Mayor. You will see some of this in 2024 with Storey Cook and Ken Sury. Qourzal worked to get them elected, they voted for him for Mayor. There appears to be a Quo Quid Pro on the Council. Just like we saw last night with the Boys Club vote. If we voted for Mayor, they would have to campaign on issues and be held accountable by thousands of voters, not 4 other Council members. Today’s system feels dirty to me. It resembles a Monarchy or Club. In 2011, only 33% of Mayors in Texas were elected this way. I am sure today that number is less. Especially since the trend with Democrats wanting people to vote at age 16, more people following social media and citizens are more informed. People don’t trust four old people on a Council that tell each other how great they are, voting on their behalf. Let’s get the signatures.