Rob McElhenney – with the help of Marvel star Chris Pratt – has announced a new development project for Wrexham as part of a birthday present to fellow club co-chairman Ryan Reynolds.
McElhenney announced the news on Reynolds’ 47th birthday on Monday (October 23). The pair are well known for investing in the local community around North Wales and it appears a community park is their latest endeavour.
Rob McElhenney enlists Chris Pratt to announce Ryan Reynolds birthday present
In a video shared to X on Monday (October 23), McElhenney said he needed the help of an “actual superhero” in order to wish his fellow club owner a happy birthday.
Chris Pratt, known for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame, is seen sat opposite McElhenney, who has a notebook and pen in hand at a desk.
“What am I doing here?” Pratt asks, before McElhenney replies: “You know how Ryan and I are always doing these elaborate things for each others birthdays?”
“This year, my idea involves a park.”
“Do I have to follow you to see that? Was it on his social media?” Chris later asks, before joking: “I might have seen it if it was on his, I don’t follow you.”
A bewildered Pratt then asks: “Do I get to meet Ryan? Do you think maybe he could do something for my birthday then he and I could take over and then it could really go big.”
Rob is creating a Ryan Reynolds Memorial Park in Wrexham
The Always Sunny in Philadelphia star’s plan is to create a Ryan Reynolds Memorial Park in Wrexham on the site of the town’s former Hippodrome. The park will be a community space located in the heart of Wrexham where the public can gather, grow, and play.
Working in close partnership with Wrexham County Borough Council, the current space will be upgraded in the coming months to be a reflection of the “spirit of Wrexham and Wales”.
According to McElhenney the park will include “its own green lanterns”, and “benches for old guys to swing on”.
McElhenney has even created a website, calling it ‘Parks and Wrex’, a play on words for the sitcom Parks and Recreation Pratt was in.
A description of the park on the website reads: “Parks & Wrex are delighted to introduce the soon to be renamed Ryan Rodney Reynolds Memorial Park.
“This community space located in the heart of Wrexham will be a place for the public to gather, grow, and play. Working in close partnership with Wrexham County Borough Council, we’re beautifying the park in the coming months to be a reflection of the spirit of Wrexham and Wales.
“And we’re renaming it. Probably something Welsh, not Canadian.”
The Wrexham co-owners love elaborate birthday gifts
The Wrexham co-owners have a tradition of “doing elaborate things for each other’s birthdays”.
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.