Dallas Approves Plans For a New Downtown Park Set To Open in 2022

The Massive Carpenter Park Brings Basketball Court, Dog Run, and Valuable Art to the Neighborhood

BY Megan Ziots // 06.25.20

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The City of Dallas has approved Carpenter Park in downtown. (Courtesy of Carpenter Park)

Carpenter Park will be a 5.6-acre park on the eastern edge of downtown. (Courtesy of Carpenter Park)

The park will boast two sculptures: a statue of John W. Carpenter and Robert Irwin's "Portal Park Slice." (Courtesy of Carpenter Park)

Carpenter Park will begin construction in September and create space for kid's play and walking paths. (Courtesy of Carpenter Park)

A dog run will also be a part of Carpenter Park. (Courtesy of Carpenter Park)

The City of Dallas has approved Carpenter Park in downtown. (Courtesy of Carpenter Park)

In September of this year, there’s going to be some new construction on the eastern edge of downtown Dallas. (Don’t worry, this is a good development.) The new development, a renovation of Carpenter Plaza called Carpenter Park, follows the beautifully executed Pacific Plaza Park, and will feature 5.6-acres of space for lined with walking paths, a pavilion, an interactive fountain, kid’s environmental play, a dog run, and a basketball court.

Carpenter Park Dallas — (Rendering courtesy of Carpenter Park)

“The Park and Recreation Department, the Carpenter Family and Parks for Downtown Dallas have worked together for the better half of a decade to restore Carpenter Park as a community gathering place,” said President and CEO of Parks for Downtown Dallas Amy M. Meadows in a statement. “The approval of the construction contract is a significant step towards making this park a reality for Dallas citizens and visitors alike.”

The space was originally designated to be a park in 1981, but development was disrupted by roadway reconfigurations in 2011. Now, it’s finally time for this area to get some green space, which includes the planting of 122 new trees.

Two sculptures will also be showcased at the entrance of the park. Robert Irwin’s “Portal Park Slice” — the second most valuable piece of art that the City of Dallas owns — has been reimagined by Irwin for the park. The other sculpture is a statue of John W. Carpenter (the park’s namesake and owner of the largest family of dairy farms in North Texas) by Robert Berks. The park should be completed about 18 months from September — around March 2022.