Downtown Fort Worth's Forgotten Gem

   (Note: This Friday I will be participating in Over the Edge, a fundraiser for Downtown Fort Worth Inc. The rehabilitation on this forgotten downtown park is one of the project DFWI is working on. This story was originally published in January 2011)

   Can you have a city park designed by a prominent landscape architect and have nobody notice when it closes?  The answer is yes, which is easy to understand when you consider that few people have ever noticed that the park even existed. What makes this story so unbelievable is that the park is on a busy downtown corner across the street from the Tarrant County Courthouse.

   Heritage Park was opened on the corner of Belknap and Main in downtown Fort Worth to commemorate the founding of the original military post in 1849. The park, designed by noted architect Lawrence Halprin, opened in 1976. It featured numerous water features intermingled with shaded paths and a cantilevered walkway built over the bluff overlooking the Trinity River.

  But even though the park was located on a busy intersection, it was one with little foot traffic. Few people noticed Heritage Park. And even fewer noticed in 2007 when the park fell into disrepair and was closed.

   It's been three years since the park has closed. But there is little public uproar to reopen the grounds. I contacted the city of Fort Worth and received a reply from Fernando Costa, the Assistant City Manager.  He wrote that the city is working with Downtown Fort Worth Inc. to raise funds to repair and upgrade the park. But in the past three years, little has been done. Meanwhile, the park is slowly being taking over by nature.

The cantilevered walkway can still be seen on the bluff above the Trinity, even though the trees  have begun to block the view. 

The Water Wall behind chain link.

An ironic caption 'The Vision Endures" on the sign outside the park

A Water Wall that includes the map of the original settlement sits behind chain link.

An urban oasis on the other side of the fence.

A diminished view of the park from the Main Street Street Bridge.

The Forgotten Mansions of Fair Park

   That's right, I said Fair Park.

   Fair Park, as in Corny Dogs, Big Tex and 'Oh my God, is my car going to be here when I get back?"

   Many feel that Fair Park is not the safest part of Dallas. But did you know that some of the most beautiful homes in Dallas are neighbors to the Fair Grounds?

   If you take I-45 and exit Martin Luther King Boulevard to get to Fair Park, you might have noticed some rather large older homes on MLK that have been converted to businesses.
   This was my first clue to take a left and see if there might be any other large homes in the area. Much to my surprise, I found a hidden gem, the Park Row - South Boulevard Historic District.

   These two streets were once home to the most prominent Jewish families in Dallas during the first part of the twentieth century. Anchoring this neighborhood was the Temple Emanu-el at the corner of Harwood and South Blvd. A few blocks away sat Forest Avenue High School, the finest and best equipped high school in the city.

   The community was home to some of Dallas' most prominent citizens, like the Sanger Brothers (Sanger - Harris Department Stores) and Linz family (Linz Jewelers). Many of the homes were designed by the most noted architects of the era.

   After World War II, the neighborhood declined rapidly. US - 175 was built, splitting Park Row and South Boulevard in two. Temple Emanu-el moved to a new location in North Dallas. One by one, the Jewish families left for Highland Park and North Dallas.

   Some of the homes were bought by distinguished members of the black community, others became boarding houses, and some were torn down or simply fell into disrepair.

   In the 1970's the city of Dallas designated Park Row - South Boulevard as a historic district. Many of the homes have been restored to their prior elegance. Others have either decayed due to neglect or have simply vanished.

Not all of the homes have been restored.  (below) The lonely front steps to no where are the only clue that a house once sat here.

     Each year, hundreds of thousands visit Fair Park via I-45 , but few realize that these historic homes are just blocks away from the Cotton Bowl exit. (Sadly, the vacant Neo- Classical Temple Emanu-el was torn down in 1972 when I-45 was built) But there are still a few clues that this once was one of Dallas most exclusive neighborhoods.

   The majestic campus of Forest Avenue High School still sits today on Martin Luther King Boulevard, renamed James Madison High. The Linz Mansion on the corner of Ervay and South Boulevard is still there, but operates today as a funeral home and many of the fine homes of Park Row and South Boulevard have survived. Next time you head out to the Fair, take a few minutes to drive through the district and discover a part of Dallas that few State Fair goers have ever seen.

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Downtown McKinney - What Took Me So Long?

    I have always been a fan of metroplex downtowns . Mesquite, Plano, Irving and Carrolton have all grown past their humble beginnings as a small town. But if you search, you can find their original downtowns. Some are quaint, some have become home to antique shops and a restuarant or two, but few could be called vibrant.

   But vibrant is exactly the word I would choose for downtown McKinney. I am bit embarrassed that I haven't found it before. (It is a pretty for from Fort Worth, where I lived for most of the past many years) But next to downtown Fort Worth, I can't think of another downtown that has this much to offer. I snapped a few pictures Saturday night when I discovered downtown McKinney for the first time.

The old Collin County Courthouse, now home to the McKinney Performing Arts Center

Sauce, one of the many restuarants to offer sidewalk seating

The lobby of the Grand Hotel. Their 2500 Square Foot Ballroom was once the Opera House of McKinney

This block offered 5 restuarants including one that offers live jazz

I love the name of this shop

The Palace Barber Shop. 4 chairs, no waiting. 

People of all ages go to downtown McKinney. It happened to be Prom Night for McKinney High School

Square Burger, a hip joint in an Art Deco building across from the courthouse.

Shopping on the Square, at Gray Living, one of many downtown. 

   

Missing Art of the Metroplex - Where Has Calder's Eagle Landed?

Alexander Calder's Sculpture 'The Eagle' was a downtown Fort Worth fixture for nearly 20 years. Where is it now?

   When the 90 year old Fort Worth National Bank opened its new headquarters on the corner of Fifth and Throckmorton in 1972, they were looking for a piece of public art to make a statement in front of their 30 story glass tower. They commissioned noted artist Alexander Calder who was known for large abstract sculptures and his iconic art form, the mobile. (That's right, the mobile over your baby's crib is an art form created by Calder)


  Calder's creation, one of his last before his passing, was a 39 foot statue titled The Eagle. For 17 years, the Eagle stood guard in downtown Fort Worth and became the city's most recognized piece of public art. But in 1999, the people of Fort Worth learned a hard lesson; there is a difference between public art and public owned art. 


  The ownership of The Eagle had actually passed through many hands during its stay in downtown. Fort Worth National Bank was bought out by Bank One, who sold the building and the Calder to a real estate investment company called Loutex. Loutex sold the sculpture to a group of investors, who tried to find a buyer to keep The Eagle here. When that search failed, the investors moved the sculpture out of town. That was the first time many angry Fort Worth citizens realized that this piece of public art was privately owned. 


   The first stop was Philadelphia, which was hoping to build a Calder Museum. The investors lent The Eagle to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. When patrons in Philadelphia couldn't come up with the asking price, Seattle stepped forward.


   The Seattle Art Museum with the help of donors Jon and Mary Shirley bought The Eagle for $10 million and made it the centerpiece of their new Olympic Sculpture Garden. After a brief stay in front of the Seattle Museum of Asian Art, The Eagle landed in its new home in 2003. 

     


   While the Calder sits majestically i n the shadow of Seattle's Space Needle, one mystery remains. Who were the investors who bought the artwork and moved it out of downtown Fort 
Worth? That may never be known. 

"To an engineer, good enough means perfect. With an artist, there's no such thing as perfect."

-Alexander Calder

   Learn More about Calder's Work

More Missing Art of the Metroplex

The Wishing Star at the Statler Hotel

The Hands of God

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The Tunnels of Downtown Dallas - The Worst Idea Ever?

Most people I've asked don't realize they exist, mainly because you can't see them. Former Mayor Laura Miller calls them the "worst urban planning decision that Dallas has ever made". Many believe that they were the final nail in the coffin that is Downtown Dallas, because they sucked all the business people off the street.

Watch this short video about Downtown Dallas' extensive tunnel system and see if you don't feel the same.

The 100th Year Renaissance of White Rock Lake

   I ran into my friend Matt Nevitt last night. Matt is the realtor who sold us our house in east Dallas. Having grown up in this neighborhood, I often use him as a source about all things east of White Rock Lake.

   According to Matt and others I've interviewed, east Dallas was pretty hopping in the 1960s. Homes and businesses were relatively new, schools were highly rated. People were flocking to the area to raise their families. It was the Frisco of it's time.

   But according to Matt, back then, White Rock Lake was pretty much an afterthought in east Dallas. Its days of being the area's favorite swimming area had come and passed when the city closed the beach in 1958 and opened a number of segregated pools. Running and biking weren't as popular as they were today. Other than the famous "submarine races" White Rock Lake just wasn't a place to go.

The old pavilion and changing area sat vacant from 1958 to 1981. Today it's know as the Bath House Cultural Center

   Things started to change in the 1990s when the city spent 12 million dollars to dredge the lake. They also reconfigured Lawther Drive to make the area more park like and less of a cruising ground.  Last year, the city finished a 16 million dollar project to rebuild the century old spillway near the dam. A few weeks ago the city completed the bridges that connect the lake to the new Sante Fe Trail.  The investment in the area is paying off for the city in the form of higher property taxes they are collecting as real estate prices near the lake escalates. White Rock Lake is the jewel of east Dallas and has become a catalyst for economic growth. 

   This year, the lake is celebrating it's 100th year with a series of events. What a perfect time to reflect upon its 100 years past and its magnificent present. Did you know that besides running and cycling, the lake is home to a variety of other activities?

1. White Rock Lake host to two different sailing clubs, the 72 year old Corinthian Sailing Club and the 50 year old White Rock Boat Club.

   

2. The Lake has become a bird watchers paradise and recently a Bald Eagle has been spotted nesting near the spillway. 

3. White Rock Lake is home to an active rowing community. 19 area high schools have students who participate in Crew along with the a variety of rowers who are members at the White Rock Boathouse. 

4. White Rock Lake Park is now home to the Dallas Little League, with three new modern fields at Winfrey Point.

5. You can explore the lake via the water in a rented kayak, courtesy of White Rock Paddle Company.

   Perhaps this is the perfect time to revisit the city's jewel of the east side. Happy 100th birthday, White Rock Lake.

My Dog Murphy

I know that this has nothing to do with the Dallas-Fort Worth, but I put this video together just for fun and I thought I would post it. 

The Ruins of the Metroplex - Super Bowl Edition

   I decided to take a drive around Cowboys Stadium this morning and see the preparations for the upcoming Super Bowl. Some say the facility resembles a futuristic spaceship that landed in the middle of Arlington. A space age building that replaced an aging suburban neighborhood.

  I took a few moments to appraise the other development that has sprung up in the area since the ribbon was cut at the stadium. To be frank, more has closed than has opened. Other than a new wing restaurant in an old strip center, I can't see anything new that has opened since the Cowboys moved to Arlington.

   Instead of sparking development, one could easily argue that the exact opposite has happened. A drive along Division Street just south of the Stadium is a stark reminder that the millions of people who stream into Cowboys Stadium aren't sticking around long after the games. An abandoned Putt Putt, deserted businesses, seedy motels and vacant lots tell a sad story. If these properties weren't redeveloped in time for the world's biggest sporting event, they probably have a very grim future.

  Nothing illustrates this point as well as the Eastern Star Home. The once majestic facility which was built in the country in 1924, now sits in the shadow of the stadium. The 30 acre property, which was once home to widows and retirees in the female masonic-like order, is empty behind chain link and barbed wire at the end of a crumbling driveway.

The home in its heyday and how it looks today. 

   

   At one time, investors envisioned redeveloping the home into a hotel and conference center. But as I said before, if it hasn't happened by Super Bowl Sunday, will it ever happen?

    The Eastern Star Home, which is on Preservation Texas' Most Endangered Building List, serves a sobering lesson on the promise of redevelopment that is promised with new stadiums. Though one could argue that the Super Bowl would have never come to Arlington with out Cowboys Stadium, a drive around the area adds another chapter to the story.

Fort Worth's Forgotten Park

Note: This Story was originally published in 2011. This past week, the Fort Worth announced that they are taking bids to restore and reopen the park, Hopefully by 2016.

   Can you have a city park designed by a prominent landscape architect and have nobody notice when it closes?  The answer is yes, which is easy to understand when you consider that few people have ever noticed that the park even existed. What makes this story so unbelievable is that the park is on a busy downtown corner across the street from the Tarrant County Courthouse.

   Heritage Park was opened on the corner of Belknap and Main in downtown Fort Worth to commemorate the founding of the original military post in 1849. The park, designed by noted architect Lawrence Halprin, opened in 1976. It featured numerous water features intermingled with shaded paths and a cantilevered walkway built over the bluff overlooking the Trinity River.

  But even though the park was located on a busy intersection, it was one with little foot traffic. Few people noticed Heritage Park. And even fewer noticed in 2007 when the park fell into disrepair and was closed.

   It's been three years since the park has closed. But there is little public uproar to reopen the grounds. I contacted the city of Fort Worth and received a reply from Fernando Costa, the Assistant City Manager.  He wrote that the city is working with Downtown Fort Worth Inc. to raise funds to repair and upgrade the park. But in the past three years, little has been done. Meanwhile, the park is slowly being taking over by nature.

The cantilevered walkway can still be seen on the bluff above the Trinity, even though the trees  have begun to block the view. 

The Water Wall behind chain link.

An ironic caption 'The Vision Endures" on the sign outside the park

A Water Wall that includes the map of the original settlement sits behind chain link.

An urban oasis on the other side of the fence.

A diminished view of the park from the Main Street Street Bridge.


Heritage Park on North Main Street at the top of the Trinity River Bridge
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