Wrexham: Rob McElhenney gives Ryan Reynolds birthday park

An artist impression of the proposed Ryan Rodney Reynolds Memorial Park

Actor Rob McElhenney plans to submit proposals for a new public park in Wrexham as a 47th birthday gift for Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds.

Wrexham council said the former Hippodrome cinema would be put forward as the proposed site for the new "Ryan Rodney Reynolds Memorial Park".

The council bought the site in 2021 as it planned regenerate the area.

McElhenney said the park would be a place for the public to "gather, grow, and play".

On a website created for the project, the Hollywood star said the site would be renamed, "probably something Welsh, not Canadian".

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC in 2021

The AFC Wrexham co-owners have a tradition of "doing elaborate things for each other's birthdays", McElhenney said in video posted on his social media channels on Monday.

In April, Reynolds released a song with music video for McElhenney's birthday explaining how to pronounce the name McElhenney.

It came after McElhenney had a replica of Reynolds' face installed at the Racecourse Ground last year for his 46th birthday.

Wrexham council said the plans had the potential to create a family-orientated space, possibly with play facilities, tables and chairs, artworks, street food and community cinema.

An artist impression of the park, which could host community cinema at night

"We've had exactly the same ambition as Rob to bring the space back into use as some sort of community park," said Mark Pritchard, leader of Wrexham County Borough Council.

"The added bonus of having Rob and Ryan involved in the regeneration of the site with a few quirky ideas which only they can do is fantastic and we'll really look forward to working together as their plans develop," he said.

If the plans are approved, the Ryan Rodney Reynolds Memorial Park would be redeveloped and maintained by the Wrexham AFC co-owners, Wrexham council said.

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