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39-548: The park is part of the larger Trinity River Project , which when complete will be one of the largest urban parks in the world at 10,000 acres (40 km) in size. The Great Trinity Forest portion of the project consists of 6,000 acres (24 km), primarily in the area of the Trinity River as it traverses Dallas County just south of Downtown Dallas . In 1983, the Texas Legislature designated 900 acres of

78-559: A 50-mile hike-and-bike loop around Dallas — known as The Loop — runs through the Great Trinity Forest. The loop project joins 11 separate trails for form a loop around the city and is expected to be fully completed by 2027. The Trinity River Trail links the Trinity River Audubon Center, Texas Horse Park, Trinity Forest Golf Club and Joppa Preserve. The Great Trinity Forest includes the remnants of

117-640: A lock and dam system at McCommas Bluff. The structure was built in 1909 as part of an overarching plan to make the Trinity River navigable by steamboat from the Gulf of Mexico. An abandoned structure known as the Lock Keeper's House sat at the site and was recognized as a Texas Historic Landmark but was destroyed by fire in 2023. 32°43′34″N 96°44′49″W  /  32.726°N 96.747°W  / 32.726; -96.747 This article related to

156-689: A member of his Texas finance committee. Perot was a member of the board of directors for Dell Inc . He is a board member of Guide IT. He chairs the United States Air Force Memorial Foundation and co-chairs the EastWest Institute . He also sits on the Board of Trustees of St. Mark's School of Texas, Southern Methodist University , and Vanderbilt University. In 2010 Forbes reported Perot's net worth at $ 1.5 (~$ 2.05 billion in 2023) billion. Perot

195-442: A minority stake in the team, as does Carter's estate. In 2023, it was announced that Perot was one of the owners of Major League Cricket team Texas Super Kings. He and Anurag Jain, partner with Perot Jain and chairman of Access Healthcare, were among the investors in a Series A funding round that will help MLC build facilities across the country. Perot contributed $ 660,000 to Donald Trump 's 2020 presidential campaign . During

234-484: A place of relaxation and play for downtown residents who currently have limited outdoor recreational opportunities. Although rare, downtown Dallas has suffered severe flooding and the Trinity River Project has enlisted local and government officials for advice on extending and improving the current levee system protecting the downtown area. Current plans to improve the existing levees are part of what

273-620: A planning process began with construction on the project starting in 2005. Proponents believe this development will bring more life, commerce, revenue to the downtown Dallas region. In 2004, The Trinity Trust Foundation was formed to raise public awareness and secure private funds in support of the Trinity River Corridor Project, including the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Margaret McDermott Bridge, Ronald Kirk Bridge, trails and other components of

312-518: A protected area in Texas is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Trinity River Project The Trinity River Project is a public works project undertaken in the 2000s in the city of Dallas , Texas , United States . Its goal is to redevelop the Trinity River . The project aims to turn the river's path into a collection of sports fields, trails, nature centers, and recreational opportunities. At 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) (including

351-732: A role in conserving and managing the area. The Great Trinity Forest urban park is located within the Texas Blackland Prairies ecoregion . Habitats within it include bottomland hardwood forests , riparian zones , wetlands , open water ponds, grasslands , and the Trinity River itself. The area includes old growth hardwoods, as well as invasive trees like the Chinese privet . Documented wildlife include swamp rabbit , feral hog, barred owl, coyote, white-tailed deer, striped skunk, armadillo, yellow-crowned night heron, wild turkey, bobcat and Cooper's hawk. The southeast portion of

390-740: Is building Harvest, a $ 1 billion, 1,150-acre development in Northlake and Argyle. Hillwood Communities recently kicked off developments including the 1006.5 acres development Pomona in Manvel and the 787-acre Union Park in Little Elm . From 2002 to 2003, Perot chaired the Texas Governor's Task Force for Economic Growth. In March 2007, presidential candidate Mitt Romney , seeking the Republican Party nomination, selected Perot as

429-546: Is known as the Dallas Floodway Extension project. They entail extending two existing levees and raising two others, all adjacent to the downtown Dallas area. A second component of Dallas' efforts for increased flood protection involves the construction of a series of wetlands within the Trinity basin; these wetlands are being constructed to divert excess water away from the Trinity and absorb it outside

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468-555: Is still scheduled to perform the design work. As of April 2014, footings for the bridge's arches have been constructed, while steel fabrication has been taking place at Tampa Steel Erecting Company's plant in Florida. The general contractor, American Bridge, expected steel components to arrive on site in Dallas during the fall of 2014. The Trinity River Audubon Center opened in mid-October 2008. The set of trails and parks included in

507-497: Is the eldest of American billionaire businessman and former United States presidential candidate Ross Perot 's five children. Perot was born and raised in Dallas, the son of Margot (née Birmingham) and Ross Perot . He graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas in 1977. After graduating from Vanderbilt University , he served in the United States Air Force for eight and a half years. In 1982, Perot co-piloted

546-839: The Great Trinity Forest , which at 6,000 acres (24 km ) is the largest urban bottomland forest in the world), it is one of the larger urban parks in the United States. In the late 1980s through mid-1990s, a large citizens' committee initiated by the Dallas City Council worked with staff from the City of Dallas and the regional Council of Governments (COG) to prepare a plan for use of the Trinity River Corridor in Dallas. Neighborhood groups, environmental groups and business interests formed

585-569: The River Walk in San Antonio or Lady Bird Lake in Austin . In 1998, then-mayor Ron Kirk championed a much more commercial project that aimed to renovate the river through Dallas. Voters approved a bond proposal to fund a major cleanup of the river, construction of park facilities, wildlife habitats, flood-protection devices such as levees , and related road construction. Once passed,

624-594: The Mavericks made no more progress on the court than they had in Carter's final seasons, and nowhere near what they did under his successor, Mark Cuban . It was said that he was a basketball novice, or uninterested in the sport, and was using his position as team owner to front his projects, most notably Victory Park , which was anchored by the American Airlines Center , which opened in 2001. He sold

663-479: The Victory Park real estate development. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2011, due in part to Cuban asserting proper management of the team due to its recent victory in the 2011 NBA Finals . In 2014, the 5th Circuit Court affirmed that decision on appeal. After his initial defeat, Perot attempted to prevent Mavericks fans from using the parking lots he controlled near the American Airlines Center . Perot retains

702-407: The aforementioned bridges pass over the lakes before entering downtown. The project also contains a 40,000-acre (160 km ) impact zone for economic development along the Trinity River. It will include retail, restaurants, residential developments, and offices, and also attract business into the city. Currently there exists a broad section of developed land between the skyscrapers of downtown and

741-708: The area to be the Trinity River State Park, however, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department later said the department had no funding to own and operate such a park. In 1997, the Dallas City Council adopted the Great Trinity Forest Management Plan. In 2019, the City Council adopted a resolution protecting the forest and its some 6,000 acres; the resolution states Dallas' Park and Recreation Department should play

780-407: The bike paths, cost $ 235 million; its total length is 570 meters (1,870 ft) with a main span of 365 meters (1,198 ft), and an apex-height of 122 meters (400 ft). The Trinity River Corridor Project has been billed as a threefold venture: one that seeks to protect downtown Dallas against future flooding, to improve transportation through the congested downtown district, and to provide

819-413: The completion dates on many of these projects have been pushed back. The city of Dallas spent $ 4 million to build the standing wave whitewater course. The attraction opened in 2011 but was almost immediately deemed unsafe. The city spent another $ 2 million to remove the course in 2018. In September 2023, updated plans for a Trinity River park were revealed. The plans marked a significant departure from

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858-803: The direction of Dallas officials, the North Texas Tollway Authority ( NTTA ), and the Texas Department of Transportation ( TxDOT ), the tollway was to have been constructed on the side of the Trinity closest to downtown. It would have accommodated four lanes of traffic, with some sections possibly increased to six lanes; the parkway was to cost approximately $ 1.8 billion. The Trinity River Project incorporates several new recreational developments aimed at improving quality of life for downtown Dallas residents and visitors. These include an Audubon center (opened in October 2008 at

897-544: The first flight by helicopter around the world. Using a Bell 206 L-1 Long Ranger II, he completed the circumnavigation on September 30, 1982. Perot chairs The Perot Group, which manages the Perot family's various interests, including real estate, oil and gas, and financial investments. He developed the Fort Worth Alliance Airport and is a large real estate developer. Hillwood's residential division

936-488: The large majority of the members. Neighborhoods wanted recreational amenities; environmental groups wanted to preserve one of the largest remaining riparian forests in the state of Texas; business groups wanted to build a multi-lane highway along the river corridor. Charlie Johnson of the Loop 12 area chaired the subcommittee that named the large natural area near the confluence of White Rock Creek as The Great Trinity Forest. She

975-479: The levees in West Dallas. Ross Perot, Jr. Henry Ross Perot Jr. (born November 7, 1958 ) is an American real estate developer and businessman best known for his development of Alliance, Texas , an inland port near Dallas–Fort Worth, and for making the first circumnavigation of the world in a helicopter, at age 23. Perot chairs multiple companies, including The Perot Group and Hillwood. He

1014-513: The project allowed for a "parkway" within the project area. By 2007, Dallas business and political leaders had convinced the city to plan for a six- to eight-lane tollway that would link the suburban North Dallas area to southern-bound freeways with no entrance or exit ramps near the park. Following a requirement by the Army Corps of Engineers to move the road into the proposed park area, city councilwoman Angela Hunt and local activists argued that

1053-483: The project have varying start and end dates: for most, construction has already begun or will begin this year and is set to be complete in 2009. The standing wave will also begin construction in 2008 with a completion date of spring 2009. Both the sports complex and horse park are slated to break ground in 2009, with completion dates of 2010 and 2011, respectively. The two lakes are scheduled to begin construction in 2011 with an opening date of 2014. Due to funding issues,

1092-611: The project. On December 12, 2005, construction on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge began — the bridge is one of three Santiago Calatrava -designed bridges to be constructed as part of the project. Though official construction began almost a year and a half earlier, heavy construction did not start until June 2008. Completed in 2012, it connects Woodall Rodgers Freeway in downtown to Singleton Avenue in west Dallas . The conventional concrete pier-and-beam bridge with cosmetic arches and cable stays, supporting only

1131-483: The river channel, further reducing flood danger. Two sections of wetlands are under construction, an Upper Chain and a Lower Chain , with the latter completed in 2008. The Trinity Parkway , the most controversial portion of the project, was a proposed nine-mile (14 km) parkway located inside the river levees but above the floodplain; it was to provide an alternate route for Dallas residents and business travelers, and relieve intense Dallas highway traffic. Under

1170-417: The road would cripple the planned development; tollway supporters pointed to the planned roadway's ability to decongest the undersized "Mixmaster" interchange between I-35, I-30 and US-75, and argued that attempting to move the road would require a cost-prohibitive exercise of eminent domain. In a referendum sparked by Hunt, voters narrowly approved the construction of the toll road, thanks primarily to voters in

1209-505: The second signature bridge, will replace the existing Interstate 30 bridge over the Trinity River. It was originally scheduled to begin construction in 2011, and be completed by 2014. However, in late 2011 funding for the bridge was moved to come from within the Project Pegasus initiative, with construction contracts to be awarded in mid-2012. The new plan features 'toned-down' elements of its original arch design, although Calatrava

Great Trinity Forest - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-605: The site of an illegal landfill in South Dallas), a set of new trails for biking, hiking, and walking, parks, a standing wave, sports complexes, a horse park, and two manmade lakes. These amenities are set to be added to various areas adjacent to downtown Dallas. The two lakes, named the Urban Lake and the Natural Lake by project officials, are set to be built in line with the Dallas cityscape so that cars crossing

1287-514: The suburban north end of the city. After the referendum controversy continued, citizens began to change their minds and the city council finally cancelled the road project in August 2017. The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, the largest portion of the Trinity project started thus far, is currently complete and open to traffic connecting Spur 366 to Singleton Blvd. Completed at a cost of $ 120 million, it opened March 2012. The Margaret McDermott Bridge ,

1326-541: The team to Cuban in January 2000 and the franchise did not have a losing record in any of the next 15 seasons, winning two Western Conference championships and the 2011 NBA championship . In May 2010, Perot, who retained 5% ownership, sued Cuban, alleging the franchise was insolvent or in imminent danger of insolvency. In June 2010, Cuban responded in a court filing maintaining Perot was wrongly seeking money to offset $ 100 million (~$ 136 million in 2023) in losses on

1365-487: The vision for the development. The park would be named after Dallas businessman Harold Simmons and would come with a $ 325 million price significantly higher than the Trinity River Conservancy's $ 150 million proposed project announced in 2015. In addition, where previous plans called for a nature-oriented park inside the river levees, the new proposed project would feature amenities set mostly outside

1404-531: The water's edge of the Trinity and the two lakes. Recently, Dallas city hall has put forth new zoning laws concerning this area; this new legislation redefines the types of structures that can be built in this area and extends downtown's sphere of influence with its model of highrise and high density construction out to the Trinity river. Although the original bond proposal was passed in 1998, work progressed slowly. A proposed toll road garnered significant criticism from community activists. The 1998 bond proposal for

1443-655: Was also a tireless advocate for the people of her minority neighborhood. Environmentalists such as Ned and Genie Fritz of the Texas Conservation Association and Diana Christopulos of the Sierra Club's Dallas Group were instrumental in the original conservation planning, and many others have carried it on for over 30 years. The Great Trinity River Project has since become one of the most impressive municipal efforts combining conservation, recreation and thoughtful development. Mayor Steve Bartlett

1482-469: Was largely supportive of the citizens' committee efforts. However, Mayor Ron Kirk initially rejected all work to date when he assumed office. He preferred business and commercial ventures. Businesses and businessmen, like Ross Perot, Jr. , have pushed in recent years to build a multimillion-dollar, landmark bridge over the river and convert the section of the river near downtown into a park area, with nearby commercial and retail services, somewhat similar to

1521-815: Was the 1983 recipient of the Langley Gold Medal from the Smithsonian Institution . . In April 2020, Governor Greg Abbott named Perot to the Strike Force to Open Texas, a group "tasked with finding safe and effective ways to slowly reopen the state" during the COVID-19 pandemic . Perot purchased the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team from original owner Don Carter in March 1996 . During his four-year tenure,

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