Dirt will start flying this fall on the Southern Gateway deck park that will reconnect Oak Cliff, severed decades ago by the construction of Interstate 35E.
The ambitious 5-acre project is split in two phases. After securing public funds to build the highway deck for phase 1, the nonprofit behind the deck park has been raising money toward its $35 million budget for the first half of the actual park amenities. We are happy to report that the project recently obtained a $5 million commitment from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Combined with $25 million in private philanthropy, that gets the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation within spitting distance of its phase 1 goal.
Even more money could flow to the project from the state, thanks to the advocacy of the Dallas delegation in the Texas Legislature. Southern Gateway officials say lawmakers earmarked another $5 million from Texas Parks and Wildlife and $10 million from the Texas Department of Transportation to help build the decking for the second phase, although all that money is contingent on federal funds becoming available.
“We are thrilled,” said April Allen, president and CEO of the Southern Gateway foundation. “We’ve been working hard to leave no stone unturned in terms of funding.”
Allen and her team credit state Sen. Royce West and Reps. Rafael Anchía and Toni Rose for their leadership in getting the funds on the state budget. They also noted the support of other members of the Dallas delegation.
Dallas and other communities are in love with deck parks, and with good reason. But it’s easy for the public and even elected officials to underestimate how difficult it is to get those projects off the ground — both logistically and financially. Deck parks spanning a certain size become highway tunnels that require fire suppression systems and other safety features. Raising money for the actual park amenities is also a herculean task given so many competing demands for public and private dollars.
Local and state officials are wisely taking advantage of federal grant opportunities to potentially secure more money for Southern Gateway. Phase 2 of the project has a $97 million budget, with $60 million alone going toward the decking infrastructure. As we reported last month, the North Central Texas Council of Governments is bundling four deck park projects for an application to a federal grant program focused on reconnecting communities separated by highways. NCTCOG is requesting $35 million for phase 2 of Southern Gateway decking infrastructure. Officials expect they will find out sometime in early 2024 whether their request is approved.
NCTCOG has already committed $7 million for design and engineering of phase 2, Allen told us. The group is also planning to allocate $5 million in regional toll revenue toward Southern Gateway phase 2, records show.
It’s a testament to Southern Gateway’s potential to transform Dallas that it has been able to enlist so many advocates. We hope the latest support from the state will spur more benefactors to contribute.
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com
