Klyde Warren Park – Dallas, Texas
Klyde Warren Park is a 5.2-acre (2.1 ha) public park in Downtown Dallas, Texas. The park is over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway and opened in 2012. It is named for Klyde Warren, the young son of billionaire Kelcy Warren who donated $10 million to the development of the park.
The park is located on the edge of the Arts District, between Downtown Dallas and Uptown. The urban park stretches for three city blocks between Pearl and St. Paul Streets and covers the below-grade Woodall Rodgers Freeway. The park connects with the M-line Streetcar.
Adjacent structures include the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Parkside Condominiums, Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences, and several commercial offices. Museum Tower, a 42-story residential tower, is also located next to the park.
The urban park is open to the public but is operated by the private Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation. Unlike other public parks within the city, Klyde Warren Park has operating hours from 6 am to 11 pm.
The park is constructed above a section of below-grade Woodall Rodgers Freeway, for three blocks between Pearl Street and St. Paul Street. It connects the Dallas Arts District to other areas and serves as a central public gathering space for Dallas residents and visitors to enjoy.
Construction of the park was funded through a public, private partnership including $20 million in bond funds from the city of Dallas, $20 million in highway funds from the state and federal government through TxDOT, and nearly $50 million from private donations. The biggest contributor was businessman Kelcy Warren who gave $10 million to the project; the gift gave him naming rights which he used to name the park after his then-nine-year-old son. In March 2009, the park was selected to receive $16.7 million in stimulus funds that were specifically for transportation enhancement construction.
Designed by landscape architecture firm The Office of James Burnett, the park includes a mix of active and passive spaces like children’s parks and reading spaces, fountains, game areas, and dog parks. Running through the middle of the Park is the promenade that provides access through the park to various amenities, including an outdoor reading room, table game areas, and a small putting green.
There are various landscape gardens interactive fountains and water features throughout the park as well. A 6,000-square-foot (560 m2) restaurant and performance stage, designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners, is in the center of the park.