What do Parks and Trails Have to do with Housing and Neighborhoods? Maybe Everything

Officials with The Loop Dallas are poised to start construction this month on a $10 million project that will connect the Design District with West Dallas, boosting the value of surrounding neighborhoods. 

Real estate agents often tell CandysDirt.com that the No. 1 thing potential home buyers want to know is what school district they’re in. Other questions vary, such as when the house was built and whether it has a swimming pool. 

Toward the top of the list of factors that increase a home’s property value is access to green space, according to a June 2024 article on Anywhere Integrated Services titled “Do Parks and Playgrounds Affect Home Value?”

“In fact, according to recent studies, being near a park or playground – anywhere up to half a mile away – will generally boost home prices, often by as much as 8 to 20%,” the article states. “That’s because families with children and/or pets see immediate recreational value as well as scenic enjoyment in being near a green area. According to the National Recreation and Park Association, getting outside in green spaces benefits mental health. Being outdoors lets your mind rest, reduces stress and anxiety, and improves cognitive function, including memory and focus.”

The Loop Plaza

The Loop Plaza will transform the connection point at Victory Avenue and N. Houston Street by linking the Katy Trail, Victory Park, and the Design District to West Dallas and the Trinity Strand Trail via an innovative underpass beneath Interstate 35, offering an open space for walking, biking, and gathering, according to officials with The Loop Dallas. 

The Katy Trail is set to attract 3 million users this year, and the new connection will offer direct access to shops, restaurants, businesses, and residences in one of Dallas’ most dynamic areas, The Loop Dallas Executive Director Philip Hiatt Haigh told CandysDirt.com.

“This is in line with our history of providing really unique solutions to some of the biggest challenges we have in an urban environment,” Hiatt Haigh said. “We realized we needed a way to come from the Katy Trail, which is up 12 feet above Houston Street, down to grade very quickly. We had a design competition a few years ago and asked some of our local design firms how they would accomplish this unique challenge. There’s only 40 feet of available right-of-way which is what makes it so complicated.”

They’re creating a bridge on a portion of the Katy Trail with a ramp down to Houston Street. The Loop Plaza then becomes a “front porch” for the 50-mile bike and pedestrian trail. 

“This is going to be a project that is more akin to something you would see in New York, Chicago, or San Francisco where you don’t have more available space and you have to be creative with what is there,” Hiatt Haigh said.

Who’s Paying for The Loop Plaza?

The Dallas Morning News championed The Loop Plaza in a September 2023 editorial, saying the $10 million project would not pose a “direct cost to taxpayers.” 

Through its public relations firm Allyn Media, The Loop Dallas has said the project is funded through a partnership with the City of Dallas and private donors. Hiatt Haigh acknowledged the project is pricey but explained there is a huge return on investment.

“I don’t think that I’m going out on a limb by saying that Uptown is the success that it is today because of the Katy Trail,” he said. “Everybody loves and appreciates and understands what the Katy Trail means to people, and that’s why businesses want to be there. That’s why real estate is so expensive in that area, because they know it’s going to have the highest and best value and use. That’s why we are able to secure the amount of money that is needed. The philanthropic community, the business community, and the City of Dallas understand the value driver this is going to be and that we need to fund it appropriately.”

The Loop Dallas is a city-wide bike and pedestrian 50-mile active transportation system that joins 39 miles of existing trails in Dallas with 11 miles of newly built trails. 

Property owners and developers have made significant investments in the infrastructure surrounding the American Airlines Center and South Victory, and this is the first improvement to extend to North Victory Avenue and connect under I-35 and DART bridges to the Design District, officials said in a press release.

The plaza was designed by Dallas-based TBG Partners. 

“The City of Dallas has really embraced public-private partnerships,” Hiatt Haigh said. “They look at the Loop Dallas and say, ‘We trust this entity to build things on behalf of the City of Dallas.’ At the end of the day, we don’t own any of these projects. The city does. That’s a pretty heavy ask of philanthropy … but because the city has such a good history of these partnerships, it’s become a model that has allowed a lot more investment in our greenspaces than some of our peer cities.”

A rerouted trail is being built to ensure safety and convenience while work on The Loop Plaza is underway.