Mayor Eric Johnson is expected to announce Tuesday that Oncor Energy is donating 110 acres of land, including Parkdale Lake, to Dallas’ Park and Recreation system.
Why it matters: This will be the largest donation of parkland in Dallas since 1938, when the city acquired more than 600 acres from the W.W. Samuell Estate, according to city officials.
- The new park will help complete the LOOP, the 50-mile walk-and-bike trail aimed at connecting northern, southern, eastern and western Dallas.
- Parkdale Lake will also help the city manage runoff and mitigate flooding from White Rock Creek.
Context: Located in southeast Dallas along White Rock Creek, Parkdale Lake was built in 1953 as a water storage site for the Parkdale Steam Electric Station, which was decommissioned in 2005.
- A third-party environmental assessment found no evidence of contamination on the land, and the Parkdale Lake Dam is a “low-risk dam” in fair condition.
State of play: City leaders plan to ask the surrounding community for input on potential park programming.
What they’re saying: “The donation of Parkdale Lake and the surrounding land is huge for Dallas. It will create new recreational opportunities and help us connect our neighborhoods through our trail system,” Johnson said in a statement sent to Axios.
- “The initiative by the City of Dallas and the Circuit Trail Conservancy to unite Dallas’ neighborhoods is a big win for our entire community,” Allen Nye, CEO of Oncor, said in the same statement. “We’re so proud to be a part of making this project a reality.”
What's next: The Park Board will be briefed on the donation at its Dec. 9 meeting.