City Hall Roundup: Dallas Moves Forward with a Pair of Parks

It’s widely known that Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson loves his “four Ps”: public safety, parks, potholes, and property tax relief. In one of the first meetings of the new year, Johnson and the Dallas City Council gave us four more Ps: Parrish Park and a pocket park. 

In a December State of the City speech, Johnson doubled down on his promise that parks will continue to be a priority in Dallas in 2025. Council members backed him and approved two significant green space initiatives at the Jan. 22 meeting. 

Roland G. Parrish Park

The Dallas City Council unanimously approved a construction contract for phase one of the Roland G. Parrish Park improvements project. 

Parrish Park is far from a pocket park. It’s on about 25 acres at 3800 E. Kiest Blvd. near Cedar Crest Boulevard, Birdsong Drive, Packard Street, and Morrell Avenue. The project, led by the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, will deliver a $10 million capital improvement investment, which includes design and demolition of the site, for an area of the city that has experienced historic underinvestment, officials said in a press release. 

Upgrades include a football field with track, bleacher seating, sports lighting, a basketball court, a picnic pavilion, a playground, and a disc golf course. 

“This newly created park will deliver an element of renewal to the community,” said City Council member Carolyn King Arnold, who represents the area. “It is a targeted investment in infrastructure and maximizes public benefit in a previously flood-prone residential area. I can’t wait to see it utilized by area residents and the community at large.”

Funding for phase one of Parrish Park includes $4 million from the City’s Equity Fund, $3 million from the City’s Infrastructure Investment Fund, and a $1 million donation from businessman Roland G. Parrish, the park’s namesake. 

“Developing a significant park in Council District 4 is helping to right a historic wrong in that community, ” said Dallas Park and Recreation Director John Jenkins. “Phase one of Roland Parrish Park will be a beautiful park with a needed athletic field that the community can be proud of, and the good news is our investment doesn’t stop there.  We have an additional $10 million from the 2024 Bond Program that will be invested into phase two of the project, and we intend to begin planning work on that phase this spring.”

Phase one construction is slated to begin next month with completion at the end of the year. 

Pocket Park in North Oak Cliff

Also approved at the Jan. 22 meeting was a “pocket park” at 902 S. Waverly Drive near the Sunset Hill and East Hampton Hills neighborhoods in North Oak Cliff. It’s a 9,000-square-foot site aimed at providing green space near residential neighborhoods. 

Currently about 74% of Dallas residents live within walking distance of a park, according to the Trust for Public Land. 

“Every resident in North Oak Cliff deserves easy access to open space, no matter their ZIP code,” said Councilmember Chad West, who represents the area. “While we continue to invest in our large parks including Lake Cliff, Martin Weiss, and Kidd Springs, adding smaller neighborhood parks like 902 S. Waverly Pocket Park and the Kevin Sloan Park later this year, helps ensure more residents can take a quick stroll to a safe and welcoming outdoor space. I look forward to hearing from the community and working together to determine how best to activate this new public green space.”  

Trust for Public Land Texas State Director Molly Morgan noted that access to parks and trails provides health and social benefits that communities need.

“This is a priority area for parks and we are excited that this project will positively impact more than 4,500 people, including 760 residents of North Oak Cliff who don’t currently have access to a close-to-home park, and [it] will raise Dallas’ future ParkScore,” she said, referencing a ranking based on how communities compare nationally on five characteristics of an excellent park system: acreage, access, investment, amenities, and equity.