Meadows Foundation Gives Deck Park Half a Mil For TBD Arts Programming

​Two months ago, Chase pledged $3 million to the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park -- for, specifically, the crescent-moon-shaped, 15-foot-wide Promenade that will span the length of the 5.2-acre park currently under construction. But, as we noted two weeks later, there's still much fund-raising left to do: The Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation still needs $27 million more for park amenities and operating costs, not to mention a contingency fund needed during the first three years of its existence.

This morning, though, comes word of another donation -- this one from the The Meadows Foundation, which is kicking in $500,000 toward the capital campaign. (That figure of $27 mil is with the Meadows donation already deducted.) Per the press release, the money will be used to "support visual and performing arts programs for DISD students and the general public free of charge." But there are no further specifics offered -- because the park has yet to hire a director of programming.

Nevertheless, says park foundation chair Jody Grant in the release, "It is estimated that each year, during school days alone, over 150,000 children visiting our museums will be able to eat their lunch in the park instead of returning to the bus. That is just one small example of the many great things a central city park will bring to Dallas." The park, incidentally, is among a handful of Dallas projects included in this CNN piece about how America's building toward "the new urban century." Then again, so too are the Trinity River toll road and "sidewalk shops" along the banks of the Trinity. D'oh!

I asked the park's publicist, the very helpful Joanna Singleton, for a breakdown of funding to date. She just happened to have it at her fingertips, which is why it follows.

Park funding to date:

• $20 million in City of Dallas bond funds
• $20 million in from the state and federal government through TxDOT
• $16.7 million in ARRA stimulus funds
• $1 million in miscellaneous public funds (Keep Dallas Beautiful, NTCOG, Green Ribbon, etc.)
• $25 million in private donations through the WRPF (already raised, including today's Meadows donation)
• $27 million Capital Campaign through the WRPF (remaining goal to be raised in 2010-2011)

TOTAL RAISED:
$83 million
TOTAL GOAL: $110 million