Will New Deck Park Lure Downtown Visitors?

By Steve Pickett

DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) – We are just days away from the opening of Dallas’ centerpiece gathering place in the heart of the city. Klyde Warren Park is the highly touted destination park built over Woodall Rogers Freeway, merging uptown with downtown.
 
Developers say the five-acre park and urban green space will be a gateway, that will pave a new pathway of accessibility.
 
“People didn’t want to cross bridges, so it was a barrier between uptown and downtown, and we solved that,” says Jody Grant, chairman of the Woodall Rogers Park Foundation.

The solution, according to him, is a pedestrian-based outdoor magnet. Trolley access will align the park, and the DART light rail is a ten-minute walk away. Metered parking will be limited to 50 parking meters around the park. Just the way developers envisioned.
 
“We have a rail system that is the first step getting us thinking differently how we get to and fro in our city,” says A.C. Gonzales, First Assistant City Manager of Dallas.
 
Can this park transform the city? Merge one section to another? Attract all to one location? SMU Professor Kate Canales studies how something like building a park affects the public’s behavior.
 
“I think it’s a great idea, and whether the behavior changes remains to be seen,” she says.
 
The main purpose is to have a place for people to enjoy Dallas, enjoy urban downtown, and attract people downtown.
 
CBS 11 is a sponsor of the deck park opening. Join us throughout the day Saturday, October 27, to celebrate the event.