A city is only as great as the generosity of its citizens. Thanks to a $2 million donation by the Hoblitzelle Foundation, Dallas received one more gift in the ever-improving Trinity River Corridor: a new amphitheater and pavilion connecting Moore Park to the Santa Fe Trestle Trail.
To celebrate these new outdoor amenities, devotees joined dignitaries from the City of Dallas and the Trinity Trust for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which included inspired performances by Dallas Black Dance Theater Children’s Troupe, Ernesto’s Mariachi Band and Townview Jazz Band. On hand for this momentous occasion were Dallas Park Board president Max Wells, Mayor Mike Rawlings, Hoblitzelle president and CEO Paul W. Harris, Trinity Trust president and CEO Gail Thomas, Dallas City Council member Vonciel Jones Hill, Lynn McBee and Mary McDermott Cook.
“This dramatic space connects the park to the Santa Fe Trestle Trail and provides new amenities and bridges benefiting the community and all citizens who come and enjoy the park and Trinity trail system,” Harris said.
The trail, which was once a route for trains crossing the floodway in the late 19th century, was rebuilt by the Trinity River Corridor Project in 2012 and marks the beginning of the Great Trinity Forest near Corinth Street and Eighth Street. Moore Park has athletic fields and tree groves with views of Cedar Creek.
The new amenities center on the pavilion with picnic tables and a 25-foot cantilevered overlook with views toward Cedar Creek. The performance amphitheater has a memory wall and sloped lawn for seating.
“This is a prime example of a successful public-private venture to create an innovative public space in the Trinity. We thank the Hoblitzelle Foundation for being the first to step up with recreational funds for a project of this type within the Trinity River Corridor,” Thomas said.
Gail Thomas, Paul W. Harris, Mary McDermott Cook
