The City of Dallas and the Trust for Public Land opened a new park near South Oak Cliff High School recently.
The South Oak Cliff Renaissance Park is part of the Five Mile Creek Urban Greenbelt, which is expected to have 23 miles of trails and more than 500 acres of park space.
The 5.5-mile Honey Springs/Cedar Crest Trail recently opened nearby. This park connects South Oak Cliff High School and Overton Road pedestrians to the trail. And it features solar lights, a basketball half-court, play structures for kids of varying ages and abilities, a garden with Texas native plants and educational signage, picnic tables, grills and free wifi.
Alumni, staff and students at South Oak Cliff High School have pushed for the park since 2019, even organizing serious cleanups of the Alice Branch of Five Mile Creek. At Last, the adjacent scholarship residence, also advocated for the park.
The Trust for Public Land bought the acreage for the park from At Last founder Randy Bowman. The city then purchased the land for $166,400, from bond funds secured by City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold, and the Trust for Public Land paid for the $2.5-million park.
The trail and the park adds up to about an $8-million investment in this pocket of Oak Cliff cornered in by Beckley, Overton and Marsalis.
Here are a few snapshots of the park.
