Dallas, Texas, September 30, 2020 – Today marks the beginning of construction on Carpenter Park, located at the eastern edge of Downtown Dallas near Deep Ellum and East Dallas. Carpenter Park is the renovation and expansion of Carpenter Plaza, a park dedicated in 1981.
“The Carpenter Park groundbreaking is the culmination of nearly a decade of planning by Dallas Park & Recreation, Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy, and numerous other agencies, institutions and residents” said Amy M. Meadows, President & CEO of Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy. “When this park reopens in 2022, it will be an accessible community asset that serves as a vibrant connection point between Downtown and Deep Ellum.”
When Carpenter Plaza reopens as Carpenter Park, it will be the largest park in the urban core at over 5.6 acres. Landscape architecture firm Hargreaves Jones, who authored the original Downtown Parks Master Plan and its 2013 Update, led the design team for the new park which features a broad range of amenities including a dog play area, basketball court, interactive fountain, children’s environmental playscape, gardens and walking paths.
Hargreaves Jones President and CEO Mary Margaret Jones commented “It has been our great privilege to be a part of the greening of Dallas for the past 20 years and the realization of the vision for new Downtown parks to make the city’s urban core a more desirable place to live, work and play. Carpenter Park holds a special place in that line-up of new parks, as a unique opportunity to revitalize a remnant green space dissected by roadways into a vibrant park that hosts one of Robert Irwin’s early, iconic works. As the largest of the Downtown parks it will be a place for everyone with something for all to see, do and experience. We look forward to being there in person for the ribbon cutting!”
The new park will showcase two significant pieces of sculpture. Robert Irwin’s Portal Park Piece (Slice) has been reconceptualized by the artist and renamed Portal Park Slice for the new site conditions in the renovated park. Robert Berks’ statue of John W. Carpenter will also be reinstalled.
Carpenter Park is the third of four Downtown parks to be constructed as a result of a public-private partnership between the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy. Additional financial support has been provided by the Carpenter Family.
“The carefully planned network of urban neighborhood parks in Downtown Dallas is dramatically changing the experience of residents, businesses, office workers and visitors – indeed our entire citizenry – and will distinguish our center city for decades to come,” commented Robert W. Decherd, Chairman of Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy.
Carpenter Park construction will take approximately 18 months.
About Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy:
Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy (DDPC) is a 501(c)(3) foundation established in 2015 to advance long-term development and support of public parks within Downtown.
PfDD is embarked on a course to build four new urban neighborhood parks by year-end 2022, and in parallel, develop a framework for maintaining and improving Downtown’s public parks. The strategy is founded upon the design principles and financing tactics outlined in the Downtown Parks Master Plan and its 2013 Update, both of which were unanimously adopted by the Dallas City Council and the Park and Recreation Board. www.downtowndallasparks.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sarah Hughes
469.363.3651
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