Dallas dearly loves its groundbreakings, so forgive me that most of the invites that pop into my email go straight to the “mind-numbingly obligatory procession of speechifying” folder.
But I had a hunch that the Highland Hills neighborhood would do things differently and, sure enough, I was swept up Tuesday in a jubilant and spirit-lifting family reunion for this southern Dallas community.
The hugathon was an apt celebration given the reason more than 350 people had gathered on this sweltering morning: To mark the beginning of construction of a 40-acre park named for longtime leader Judge Charles R. Rose.
The new expanse of invaluable green space, within a mile of Paul Quinn College and two Dallas ISD campuses, will serve more than 3,500 nearby residents and 4,000 area students.
The Texas office of the Trust for Public Land persevered for four years, partnering with residents even through the pandemic’s darkest days, to get Highland Hills to this day.
As other entities pursue progress on public safety, housing and education, the Trust for Public Land has pledged to own the green space gap and to bring southern Dallas the quality parks it deserves.
The Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park is part of a network of green spaces and trails that the nonprofit plans all along Five Mile Creek, which arcs across this half of our city, from Red Bird to where it flows into the Trinity River near the Joppa Preserve.
It’s nothing short of astounding — especially given the pandemic and City Hall’s continuing difficulties to issue construction permits — that the Trust for Public Land has been able to move so quickly.
Since the City Council approved the Five Mile Creek Greenbelt master plan in 2019, the nonprofit has put 125 acres under park development as part of its efforts to correct the systemic inequities that permeate southern Dallas.
The park plan for Highland Hills reflects the features that neighbors of this tight-knit community said matter most. Not just nature and access, but amenities that provide unity and reunion.
That means great lawns, wide walking trails and shaded pavilions where the community can host events and spend time with family and friends.
That reunion vibe reverberated through Tuesday’s event. Laughter — and a few tears — erupted throughout the morning as speakers who had known one another since they were children reminisced while those in the audience nodded knowingly.
At the center of most of the stories was the man they were there to honor: Judge Charles R. Rose, a longtime justice of the peace who passed away in April 2019.
Anecdote after anecdote was shared about the late judge’s personal sacrifices and unfaltering dedication to Highland Hills.
Speakers talked of his work to secure grants for housing and groceries for residents in need, his efforts to lobby City Hall for quality-of-life improvements for the neighborhood and his mentorship of younger Black leaders.
The judge’s daughter, state Rep. Toni Rose, whose District 110 includes Highland Hills, told the crowd she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.
Shortly after her father’s death, the Texas Legislature and Parks and Wildlife Department surprised Rep. Rose with a $1 million grant to the park to recognize Judge Rose’s work.
Council member Tennell Atkins, who represents this part of the city, had the best lines of Tuesday’s celebration:
“This community came together and said, ‘We want 40 acres.’ We didn’t get it back then. But we finally got 40 acres today.
“And the mule? That’s the money to build this park.”
For those of you who have forgotten your history, the phrase “40 acres and a mule” evokes one of the federal government’s many broken promises to help Blacks build new lives after the Civil War.
You could just barely hear Atkins’ last words as the crowd erupted in cheers.
Any day I get to spend in Dallas’ green space, even when the air is so thick with humidity it’s hard to catch a breath, is a good one.
But Tuesday was exceptional. It was just what everyone — even the most optimistic of us broken by this world of tragedy — needed to restore and recharge our spirits.
The several acres of long-dormant land — old agricultural fields and remnant blackland prairie — that I walked after Tuesday’s groundbreaking with Trust for Public Land Texas director Robert Kent was a riot of wildflowers: Buffalo burr, lemon beebalm, coneflowers and Indian blanket.
Just to the east, a draw etched by Five Mile Creek cuts through the lush property, much of which is thick with nasty invasive privet.
With expert help, Kent told me, over the next year the construction team will restore the prairie and preserve much of the woodlands while also laying the nature trails and building the pavilion, all-access playground, spacious lawns and outdoor classroom.
In addition to funds from the city’s 2017 bond program, many donors made this $7.7 million park possible.
When State Farm’s Juaquin Jordan surprised the crowd Tuesday with news of a half-million-dollar donation for an outdoor classroom, he completed the circle Atkins began: “While we didn’t provide the acreage, we helped with the mule.”
In November, the Trust for Public Land opened South Oak Cliff Renaissance Park, the first completed piece in its Five Mile Creek plan.
With Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park now under construction, Kent and his team also will soon begin neighborhood meetings on the design of the 82-acre Woody Branch Creek Park just west of Interstate 35E in the Glen Oaks neighborhood.
The nonprofit also is refining its trail plans along Five Mile Creek’s path with the hope of getting funds for that construction in the next bond program. Connecting the green spaces and linking into the Circuit Loop Conservancy’s citywide work would be a huge win for all of southern Dallas.
While many supporters have made the Trust for Public Land’s work in southern Dallas possible, one not previously reported story particularly needs telling.
The Trust for Public Land’s interest in the Five Mile project began when Garrett Boone contacted Kent in 2018 with a plea to bring more parks to southern Dallas.
Most people around the city know Boone as the co-founder of The Container Store.
But his real gift to Dallas, through the Boone Family Foundation, is a huge commitment to restoring and preserving our natural spaces, particularly in the Trinity River system.
“I want to help make that happen,” Kent recalled Boone telling him. That partnership started with a driving tour, with then-Dallas parks director Willis Winters in tow, as they looked at one potential site after another.
Boone’s foundation made the planning grant that led to the Five Mile Greenbelt master plan and contributed $1 million of the eventual $3.7 million price for the 40 acres in Highland Hills.
In his trusty oversized hiker’s hat, Boone stood at the back of the crowd Tuesday and, as always, avoided any recognition.
He told me later that the significance of the Five Mile parks is hard to overstate because of their quality and the connections that the trails provide.
Most important, Boone said, “these parks are being done right ... with the community and honoring the community, not something plopped down from the outside.”
