If You Didn't Already Know, The Woodall Rodgers Deck Park Will Be Best Thing Ever

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Nov. 9 2011 at 2:49 PM

Categories: Development

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At least, that's what the star-studded cast of bold-faced names says in the video you see above, which was just posted to YouTube by the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation. This is the short film being used to raise money for the capital campaign -- which, as we noted only yesterday, still needs $16 million for amenities and three years' worth of operations and maintenance.

Says Bill Lively, "I think there are moments in the lives of great cities when the private sector rises to the occasion to embrace great projects that will change the course of that city ... The park is such a project"; adds D publisher Wick Allison, "This little park may end up being more integral to who we are than anything we've done so far." (As opposed to, say, the Trinity River toll road?) The video's old enough that Tom Leppert's still mayor; he wishes. Still, worth a look-see.

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there's an amount of livability that has to come first before we are truly a 'traditional' city like chicago, NYC, London, etc. Though growing (due to the housing market and Dart), the number of people actually living in downtown isn't very large. We have plenty of things for the commuters of the dfw area or out-of-towners to see or do-- it's when we have amenities for regular people living regular lives in a higher density downtown, that's when people will want to see Dallas. Young creatives will want to live in uptown or downtown, and it'll begin to look less like a carefully orchestrated sunbelt office park and more like a real city. Will the park hurt Dallas? no. Will people say it was a waste and unused? maybe. But in 50 years they'll look back and applaud our efforts because it will most likely fit their city even it doesn't really fit ours.
My error. She's a big shot at Chase. And she left Dallas for Fort Worth.
If we can't afford the park, maybe there's enough money to paint some stripes. We can always use another parking lot downtown.
The Evil Conspiracy hired Turner to remove all evidence of the top secret explosives that really brought down the two buildings. It's true. I saw it on the Internet.
FYI, the short fall on fund raising is 16% entirely for maintenance of this high maintenance high tech garden. Reminder. last year the City stopped maintenance for all of it's public art i.e. parks: "Nothing is planned for that, and the city of Dallas eliminated the conservation and maintenance budget for public art for 2010," said Kay Kallos, public art manager for the cultural affairs office. "Of course, if there is any issue that represents a public safety hazard, we will respond to that." http://www.dallasnews.com/shar... If, or when, they fail to raise the money who's going to get stuck with the long term maintenance bills? Another Park Cities vanity project that only benefits developers, with all the risk on Dallas City taxpayers. A Trinity River mini-me?
I believe Fake Wick, after spending the holidays in Fake Aspen, will be wintering in Fake La Jolla.
"Geez, what a bunch of short-sighted commentators!" My eye sight has been damaged from the impact of hitting all the pot holes in the roads driving around Dallas.
Can't wait. I look forward to lunching in the park while looking at the empty Symphony Hall cause the DSO has run out of money. Dallas: Real estate development über alles!
And a giant Ferris wheel with solar powered water taxi gondolas equipped with CueCats!
When the park is finished they should flood Woodall Rodgers Freeway and create a lake for the park.
Can't wait to let my dogs poop on their big money sidewalks and fancy grass!
Fake Wick has been something of a recluse these days. It's too bad, really.
Do her bosses at Chase know about her moonlighting at Citibank? Or are you just wrong?
I read these comments with the expectation that Fake Wick would be in here explaining the degrees of integralness. Disappointment.
I'm not being cynical...I just wish I could walk down one of the sidewalks to "The Park" without tripping over a crack! My niece, concurs.
I declined to watch the video when I saw the name Brooke Hortenstine, which is when I realized that "star-studded cast" was typed with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
Because Wick Allison has such a great track record of predicting what's great for Dallas.
The future is hovercars and the deck park obstructs that. Jeez. I thought everyone knew.
One test of what this park will do for Dallas is how it interacts with local artists. The cynic in me says there won't be a place for them, but one hopes I'm wrong.
This just in fromm former Mayor Tom... 'We forgot to mention that the park will also cure cancer'
OK the park will be really great and I fully support it. However, things like parks are only as good as their surrounding areas, and this park will not thrive if it continues to be surrounded by the faceless buildings on the Uptown side and the ass-end of the Arts District. The Nasher and DMA MUST re-orient themselves to accommodate park goers for this thing to really flourish, and we're going to have to re-think developments (like the miserably planned Museum Tower) to at least acknowledge the existence of pedestrians. That being said, this will be an awesome start to hopefully bridging the gaps between Downtown and the rest of the city. If they really want to shake it up though, how bout ripping out some of those "concrete canyons" and "medieval walls" instead of putting parks over them and stupid art installations under them...
Not sure I follow what you're saying. Why is there a mystery in recycling rubble? Did you mean post-9/11? I thing September 12th was still pretty hectic. Not sure how much recycling was actually going on at that point, especially from any outside company? The only thing I can think is that rubble was maybe being trucked out of the area by the city. I'm no Leppert fan. Just be clearer when you have what could possibly be something sinister going on.
you know I'm a big cynic about most of these big projects. But this one has always captivated my imagination. I really can see how this is going to be a cool place. I can picture spending time there. I really like Main Street Garden. Now, it's still difficult to navigate walking there. I've walked from uptown to the Winspear and it's not easy to get around, but it's doable. the trolley might be a good thing to concentrate on. Cause right now, it's a bit of a bear to figure out how to get there and take advantage without paying 10 bucks to park. that said, I think it's cool
"Tonstant Weader fwowed up."
I'd rather have the park than not have it (and I think it's a cool thing), but I think the video is overselling it tremendously... to the point that it becomes something of a joke (the only thing they didn't say the park would do is cure cancer).
Except for the wonderfully, farsighted visionaries in the video! God bless, each and every one of them!
Geez, what a bunch of short-sighted commentators! This park will be great for Dallas! Few in our society are visionaries, the people behind the park truly look to the future, not whatever is just in front of their nose!
Well, with all the collective, bull-shite, they were blowing out their respective, pie holes... I do believe the department in charge of landscaping, will foresee no problems, in finding enough manure to plant all that breath-taking foliage, they plan to plant, at "The Park".
So, is this it? Is this the thing that finally makes us a World Class City? Are we finally after many years and many billions of dollars, ready to join the ranks of the World Class? Also, are they going to have the money to run the fountains and whatnot, or is this going to be another "waterless water feature" like over there on Main?
If you need a name tag you ain't a star.
Ahem . . .lots of hyperbole, lots of rich folk you may know (I only recognized Hunt and Leppert). All these talking heads look like they eat dinner at 6:00. No Rangers, Stars or Cowboys, no rockers. Lots of precision landscaping and impaling fences. Pretty dull but can't wait to see the real thing.
Video participant and Citi Bank bigshot Elaine Agather is so excited about the new Dallas that she moved herself to Fort Worth. Oh lordy, the platitudes here are nauseating.
Ah, Tom Leppert. The man who was CEO of the company that mysteriously recycling the rubble of the World Trade Centers 1, 2, & 7 on September 12, 2001. We'll never forget that man.