Klyde Warren Park's next phase: An ice rink and indoor pavilion

Klyde Warren Park's next phase: An ice rink and indoor pavilion

Klyde Warren Park is getting a two-story pavilion, a terrace overlooking the Dallas skyline and a lawn that will double as an outdoor ice skating rink in the winter, park officials announced Monday.

Why it matters: The park was initially designed with families in mind. The 1.7-acre expansion will cater to the 20–40 age group, says Jody Grant, who chairs the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation.

Flashback: Grant says the area around Woodall Rogers Freeway was "environmentally unfriendly and unhealthy" before Klyde Warren.

  • Klyde Warren opened in 2012, linking Uptown and the Dallas Arts District. The deck park has helped increase property values in the surrounding area by about $5.9 billion, per the park's foundation.

    • Yes, but: The park is underutilized for roughly 150 days each year because of heat, rain and other undesirable weather conditions, Grant says.

    The pavilion will host weddings and other events. Artwork: Courtesy of Klyde Warren Park

    What they're doing: The park will be extended west, toward Field Street, to add a 37,000-square-foot lawn along with a glass and steel pavilion for public use and private events. The building's 8,000-square-foot terrace will overlook the Dallas skyline.

  • "This gives us the opportunity to take activities indoors and we don't lose a beat," Grant says.
  • The park will span 7.1 acres when the project is complete.

    • Follow the money: The expansion is estimated to cost $96–$111 million to construct and another $80 million for the amenities that will come with it.

  • The funding will come from the city of Dallas, North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Regional Transportation Council, Dallas County, a public improvement district and private donors.

    • What's next: Construction is scheduled to start later this year and take around two years to complete.