For more than 20 years, Dallas has envisioned a world-class park along the Trinity River. After years of sometimes bitter debate and ill-fated plans, work is finally set to begin on the sprawling park.
"Dallas did not wait twenty years for a mediocre park. They waited 20 years for a transformational park," said Tony Moore, President and CEO of the Trinity Park Conservancy, spearheading the project.
The project, a public-private partnership, is now called the Harold Simmons Park in honor of the late Dallas businessman and philanthropist.
Simmons' widow, Annette, donated $50 million to help make the park a reality. The total price tag is $325 million. Donors have already provided more than half of that.
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The park encompasses 250 acres between the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Bridge on the north and the Margaret McDermott Bridge on the south. There will be 50 acres of attractions clustered just outside and atop the levees. 200 acres inside the levees, including the river itself, will be set aside as a nature preserve.
"This is a nature park," Moore said. Visitors will be able to access the preserve using paths and trails linking the various attractions.
Among the many new attractions will be an outdoor roller skating rink, sports courts, splash pad, water garden, playground, event center and cafe. The park will also feature picnic areas, event lawns and a dog park.
"As we talk about the park, many times it's difficult for folks to understand the scale that we're talking about," Moore said.
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A dramatic transformation will happen along Beckley Avenue on the west side of the river. An enormous industrial shed that has stood in the neighborhood since the 1930s will be repurposed as a space for the community to gather.
"Can you imagine a flea market happening in this space? Can you imagine a farmer's market heavily populated as people go back and forth?" Moore asked.
Busy Beckley Avenue, which cuts across the site, will go in a tunnel. Moore describes it as a 'land bridge' allowing the park to sweep up over the roadway and connect with the levee offering visitors a view of the Dallas skyline.
"You can't get a backdrop like this behind a park," Moore said. Park planners will also add thousands of new trees, shrubs and wildflowers.
Construction officially begins October 22nd with what park officials are calling Demo Day. It will take several months to clear park sites and then three years to build the first phases of the project.
Moore says Harold Simmons Park is designed to be more than just a place for Dallas to play and relax.
"This is an economic driver. This is a park that will have a social impact. This is a park that will have an environmental impact," he said.
After two decades of promises, Tony Moore is on a mission to prove that Dallas' Trinity River Park was well worth the wait.
