DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – An expansion of Klyde Warren Park was announced Friday by VisitDallas and The Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation.
The estimated $76 million project will add 1.2 acres over Woodall Rodgers Freeway, just west of St. Paul Street. This land is planned to be used for a 20,000-square-foot pavilion that will house the state-of-the-art VisitDallas Experience Center, a Visitor Center unlike any other in the U.S., fusing “best in class” customer service with interactive technology that tells the Dallas story. The expansion will include additional green spaces and public gathering spots, assist with the Park’s long-term financial sustainability, and allow the privately-operated park to expand the more than 1,300 free programs and events it already provides annually.
“This project fulfills the vision we outlined when we began talking about decking over Woodall Rodgers a decade ago and it is the next step in improving the connectivity of the Park and the Arts District with the West End, Victory Park, and the Perot Museum,” said Jody Grant, chairman of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation. “This vision wouldn’t be coming to life without Phillip Jones and VisitDallas, who shared our vision. The VisitDallas Experience Center will add to the allure of downtown, and the pavilion will be a multi-use facility that will allow the Park to offer an indoor venue for special event rentals and point of purchase opportunities.”
According to Eric Rothman, president of HR&A Advisors, the consulting firm tasked with analyzing the economic impact of the Park’s completion, this new phase of development will provide another $850 million in stimulus to the area.
“The opening of Klyde Warren Park has been one of the most welcome developments during my tenure as mayor,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “I love that the chasm that Woodall Rodgers Freeway created between downtown and Uptown is now in our rearview mirror. The Park spanned these segments of the city, spawning billions in development in the process and representing one of the most successful infrastructure investments in the City’s history. More importantly, the Park created a town square where all Dallasites could participate in the life of the City and its Arts District.”
Design & Construction of the project is scheduled to begin in 2019, with completion anticipated as early as 2022.
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