Dallas plans to start construction on the second phase of Klyde Warren Park by 2027.
DALLAS — This story was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. You can read the original version here.
Construction on a second phase of Dallas’ popular Klyde Warren Park could start in 2027.
Phase two of the Klyde Warren Park project features two components: a deck portion that will create the platform for a new 1.5-acre park portion between St. Paul and Akard streets.
The deck element is estimated to cost $100 million while the park portion of the project is estimated to cost about $60 million. Dallas City Council first approved a development agreement with the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation for construction in June 2021.
Dallas’ City Center Tax Increment Financing District on Jan. 16 approved extending the project deadlines for phase two of the park, following a request from the foundation. The extension would require the nonprofit to start construction by the end of 2027, obtain documentation of completion for the deck portion of the project by the end of 2029 and for the park piece of the expansion to open by the end of 2031. It’s unclear when the extension request will appear before the full Dallas City Council.
In a Jan. 6 letter, Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation Chairman Jody Grant said the organization has been working with its public partners and engineering firm to “value engineer the project and identify a path forward” for the past few years, but this effort took longer than anticipated because of the complexities of the project. The foundation so far has raised about $80 million toward the deck piece of the project and plans to work with property owners in the Klyde Warren Park/Dallas Arts District Public Improvement District to raise an additional $20 million.
Kit Sawers, president and CEO of Klyde Warren Park, last year told Dallas Business Journal that rising materials and labor costs caused phase two of the project to hit pause.
“The pandemic affected the construction industry in an unprecedented way,” Sawers said at the time. “Skyrocketing costs, including the rate of labor, the price of steel and other building supplies compelled us to pause, waiting for the industry to stabilize and provide a window to move forward when it made the most financial sense.”
The next phase of Klyde Warren Park 2.0 is a highly anticipated project. The park opened in 2012 and has become a popular attraction for both downtown workers and families.