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A Bridge to Our Future SOUTHERN GATEWAY PARK | DALLAS, TEXAS2 | A Park with A Purpose — An Overview 4 | Community History 6 | Design and Visitor Experience 8 | Equitable Development 10 | Culture and Education Programs 12 | Our Journey 14 | Economic and Community Impact Highlights 16 | Financials and Opportunities to Support 20 | Our Team TABLE OF CONTENTS 1Southern Gateway Park is more than a park, it is a park with a purpose. The future five- acre bridge park will become the heartbeat of Southern Dallas — signifying hope and opportunity for the historically underserved community of Oak Cliff, Texas — and be a central gathering place where everyone is welcome. Spanning Interstate 35E between Ewing and Marsalis Avenues, this transformational, public park will reconnect historic Oak Cliff and ignite economic and community revitalization. It will be a “As an Oak Cliff resident of 17 years, I am honored to elevate the Park’s goal of transformative investment in southern Dallas. This will be a park with a purpose.” APRIL ALLEN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF SOUTHERN GATEWAY PUBLIC GREEN FOUNDATION 2 A PARK WITH A PURPOSE An Overview SOUTHERN GATEWAY PARKcatalyst for creating vibrant, equitable communities and a shared space for everyone to connect. Driven by the transformative potential of the park, Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation’s vision is to invest in this catalytic infrastructure and write a new chapter for Southern Dallas, reconnecting the heart of the surrounding communities. Together, in a public/private partnership with the City of Dallas, North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Dallas Zoo and other supportive partners and organizations, the Foundation aims to open the park to the public in late 2023. This collaborative partnership, together with surrounding community members, seeks to create a welcoming and easily accessible space; one that uniquely reflects the vibrant, diverse culture and history of Southern Dallas and physically unifies two distant and disconnected neighborhoods. With the potential to narrow the opportunity gap, this park will become a unifying historical space in a unique part of Dallas — a shared community place that will bring people together and help improve the lives of all those who call Oak Cliff home for generations to come. “This bridge park is a transformative investment that will spur economic, environmental, and community revitalization for the surrounding neighborhoods and serve as a signature destination for our region. I am optimistic about the future of our city.” HONORABLE MIKE RAWLINGS, FORMER CITY OF DALLAS MAYOR 3 A BRIDGE TO OUR FUTURECOMMUNITY HISTORY Oak Cliff is home to residents who embrace and celebrate their cultural diversity, while acknowledging the truth of their history — and they are committed to working together to close opportunity gaps in their community. Notably named in honor of Texas’s native oak trees and green cliffs, Oak Cliff has a history as intriguing as its landscape. Located directly south of Downtown Dallas, Texas, the community is bordered by the beautiful Trinity River. During its zenith, Jefferson Boulevard, Oak Cliff's main street, had retail sales second only to Downtown Dallas. Some of the principal businesses included Sears, JCPenney, Rick's Furniture, Western Auto, Baptist Book Store, Top Ten Records, and Lamar & Smith Funeral Home. The Tenth Street Historic District, in east Oak Cliff, is one of Dallas’ oldest neighborhoods; it is deeply important to the history of African American culture and life in the city. It is one of the city’s original Freedman’s towns, established after the Civil War when freed slaves founded their own neighborhoods. Over the years, the vibrant, diverse communities of Oak Cliff and its many surrounding neighborhoods became divided and disconnected due to a project that created a barrier of strong physical, social and economic separation. 4 SOUTHERN GATEWAY PARKIn the 1950s, Interstate 35E was built through the middle of Oak Cliff, a thriving Black community just south of Downtown Dallas. The project led to uneven development between East and West Oak Cliff that tore its neighborhood in half, demolishing homes and structures and disrupting area neighborhoods, eliminating resources and breaking connections between residents. The effects of this divide persist and have worsened over decades. Further, the lack of capital investment in the south as the city looked north for growth and development, combined with the absence of adequate city services, has contributed to generational poverty, social isolation, environmental injustice and economic despair for much of Southern Dallas. Despite this, Oak Cliff has preserved its deep community roots and continues to seek opportunities and resources to recover and expand its future. With the introduction of Southern Gateway Park, the Southern Dallas community has a unique opportunity to knit historic Oak Cliff back together and revitalize its community and surrounding neighborhoods. The Park will be a physical connection that creates a publicly accessible green space that drives equitable community and economic revitalization. 5 “As an Oak Cliff native, I am proud to support this park project. We have an opportunity to bring families and communities together, help mend a city with a legacy of segregation, and provide economic development.” LESTER HOUSTON, SOUTHERN GATEWAY BOARD VICE CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT, ZOO CREEK PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION A BRIDGE TO OUR FUTURELocated in the heart of Oak Cliff, Southern Gateway Park will be a visual and connective gateway into the city. Spanning the highway and connecting diverse neighborhoods, the new park will integrate unique cultures, thriving neighborhoods, and the landmark Dallas Zoo. It will be a gathering place for the local community, the broader city, and visitors from around the world. Specifically, the Park will bridge the interstate providing a conduit for the vibrancy of Bishop Arts District and Jefferson Boulevard Corridor to extend to Interstate 35E and merging into East Oak Cliff and the area surrounding the Dallas Zoo. The development and design of the park — through distinctive design features, iconic elements, textures colors and materials — reflects extensive input from the Oak Cliff community. The Park serves as a gathering place for community residents and visitors to connect. Visitors can enjoy the outdoor lawn to relax and grab a bite to eat at the nearby food truck drive. Children have access to a play area as well as multiple iconic water features. Additionally, the park provides unique spaces to learn about the Oak Cliff community and experience cultural arts and entertainment from local artists and musicians. DESIGN AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE “One of the things that first struck me was that Oak Cliff didn’t look like the rest of Dallas. The topography, escarpments, big trees, rolling streets, broad streambeds were exciting. The visual landscape has always meant a great deal to me as a neighbor and landscape architect. The Southern Gateway Park is going to be a highly visible representative of its location, Oak Cliff.” CHUCK MCDANIEL, MANAGING PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT, SWA GROUP; SOUTHERN GATEWAY PARK DESIGN TEAM 6 SOUTHERN GATEWAY PARKThe Stage Pavilion provides a space to showcase local and world-renowned musicians and artists. 7 The Restaurant/Retail Pavilion provides opportunities for local small business owners to broaden their reach. “Community engagement has been front and center from the moment we began, which is why this space will be authentically Oak Cliff.” YAVAR SAREMI, ARCHITECT, HKS, INC. The 12th Street Pedestrian Promenade restitches the former urban street grid reconnecting West and East Oak Cliff. Next >