New Park Breaks Ground in the West End Historic District

Corgan and Downtown Dallas, Inc. Foundation commit $400,000 to West End Square

DALLAS, TEXAS, January 13, 2020 – Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy, the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department and the community gathered today at Dallas City Hall to celebrate the start of Downtown’s newest park – West End Square. What is currently a surface parking lot will soon be the only centrally- located green space in the West End Historic District.

Corgan has committed a $100,000 donation toward construction of the park. The Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI) Foundation has committed $300,000 to ensure a water feature is included in the park. “Strong public-private partnerships involving community leaders like Corgan and Downtown Dallas, Inc. are critical to help the City of Dallas create four new Downtown parks,” commented Amy M. Meadows, CEO of Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy. “This shared vision will result in a network of parks that stitch our urban neighborhoods together and contribute to a more livable, environmentally sustainable future for Dallas.”

Steve Hulsey, President of Corgan said “We’re honored to have the opportunity to serve as a partner with the Parks of Downtown Dallas in creating spaces that bring people together and enhance our communities. At Corgan, we believe in the power of place – in the marriage of built environments and intentional outdoor spaces like this that shape a rich, vibrant streetscape and make a meaningful difference in our neighborhood and our lives. Corgan has a long history in the Dallas area and with more than 400 employees in the West End, we are excited to invest in shaping the urban fabric of the city where we live, work, and play.”

Landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations led the design of West End Square. The design features an outdoor workroom, porch swings, and a u-shaped steel trellis envisioned as a flexible armature for a plug-and-play approach to technologies that may be incorporated over time as the Square’s uses and needs evolve.

Kourtny Garrett, President and CEO of Downtown Dallas, Inc. says “DDI is overjoyed to see West End Square, the second of four new priority parks for Downtown Dallas, come closer to a reality with this groundbreaking. The West End has long needed a community gathering green space, and we thank Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy for making it happen with their generous matching gifts. We look forward to the completion of the remaining priority parks, which will give Downtown Dallas almost 14 acres new greenspace, helping to solidify the notion that Downtown is a true neighborhood. The DDI Foundation is pleased to make it’s very first grant to Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy and West End Square for a water table that incorporates three different modes: a reflecting pool for still days, bubblers on windy days, and a cloud mist for cooling during hot days. The water feature will help make this innovative park welcoming to everyone living, visiting and working in Downtown Dallas.”

West End Square, a little less than one acre in size, is bound by Market Street to the east, Corbin Street to the south, North Record Street to the west and the old Spaghetti Warehouse building to the north. Park construction is estimated to take 12 months.

About Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy

Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy (DDPC) was established in 2015 when its predecessor organization, The Belo Foundation, pledged its assets to the design and construction of the four priority parks identified in the 2013 Downtown Parks Master Plan Update. DDPC has committed substantially all of its assets to help build the four priority parks with the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and is dedicated singularly to the long-term development and support of public parks within Downtown. This includes funding, designing and constructing Pacific Plaza, West End Square, Carpenter Park and Harwood Park. www.downtowndallasparks.org

About Corgan

A top ten architecture and interior design firm ten years running, Corgan has a decades-long reputation for great customer service. Guided by the principles of empathy, clarity, singularity, locality, and responsibility, our unwavering commitment to our clients is rooted in a foundation of creating human- centric spaces that express the needs, desires, and dreams of our clients and their communities. Our work is based on evidence, experiential research, and hard data. We question deeply to reveal important insights into our clients and the evolving conditions that may impact the long-term value of the design. With an expertise in aviation, data centers, education, healthcare, corporate interiors, and commercial design, our strengths empower us to foresee emerging changes and provide solutions that elevate process, the space for the user, and the impact of design on your business. www.corgan.com

About Downtown Dallas, Inc.

Downtown Dallas, Inc. is the primary advocate, champion, and steward for Downtown, effecting change by developing strategies, setting targets, and mobilizing resources that:

  • Stimulate a vibrant and sustainable Downtown environment
  • Improve infrastructure
  • Enhance economic competitiveness
  • Create a culturally inclusive urban center
  • Position the area as a global destination
  • Foster innovation and technology in all aspects of the urban experience

Program areas include public safety; capital improvements; maintenance; economic development; public policy; planning/transportation; and marketing. www.downtowndallas.com