Provided photo
The Ferguson Road Initiative (FRI) and Dallas Park and Recreation Department received preliminary results for the White Rock Hills Recreation Center feasibility study and master plan at its steering committee meeting on Feb. 17.
(Not sure what this is? Read about the White Rock Hills Rec Center in our story that ran in the December issue of Lakewood-East Dallas Advocate. Then read this follow-up from the big reveal.)
To summarize, FRI had a vision to build a multi-generational recreation center along Ferguson Road, but it was forced to put the brakes on the project in 2008 when the economy tanked. For years, the organization has waited for the economy to stabilize in order to revitalize its dream. Now it’s full steam ahead.
The center is estimated to cost approximately $25 mil, according to a press release from FRI, making it one of the largest recreation centers in the Dallas park system. Funding will be through a public-private partnership between FRI and the City of Dallas.
Jacobs Engineering developed a conceptual site plan and Snøhetta, an internationally recognized architectural design firm on the team, presented an “iconic building with modern architectural lines.”
Nestled into the hillside, the building’s design highlights the wooded slope as a key feature of the site, integrating the existing parkland and 40-foot drop in elevation. The center’s features will include a water wall, a spray fountain for children, an outdoor amphitheater, community gardens and areas for recreation, in addition to space for arts and cultural programming for all ages. The center will eventually connect to the Trinity Trail system and include a trailhead and city park, which will come in a later phase of the project.
Months ago FRI approached the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden to explore the possibility of locating its horticultural center, greenhouses and planting beds on the site, which will be located at Ferguson and Highland in Far East Dallas. However, the feasibility study revealed that the site only met half of the Arboretum’s requirements and the option to expand to the adjacent land was cost prohibitive. The Arboretum removed itself from consideration, so FRI is exploring new partnerships.
The steering committee will present new options for additional amenities and programming in a final town hall meeting to be held at the Arboretum. Check the FRI website for the date and time.
