A rendering of the future Southern Gateway Park.
Halperin Park, located above Interstate 35E in southern Dallas and across from the Dallas Zoo’s giraffe sculpture, held an event Tuesday where public leaders celebrated renaming Oak Cliff’s new deck park and helped plant the first trees on Earth Day.
The event marked the official renaming of what was previously named Southern Gateway Park. It is now named Halperin Park, after a $23 million contribution from the Halperin Foundation for the naming rights.
With a performance from the Revelers Hall band, attendees got to take a look at the construction project and a model of the completed project.
April Allen, president of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, spoke at the event, saying the team was figuratively and literally “putting down roots.”
“This moment is about more than trees and green space. It’s about growth, resilience and the enduring spirit of our community,” Allen said. “It reminds us that every great transformation begins with small seeds, seeds of vision, seeds of faith and seeds of action. As we plant today, we also proclaim that beauty, belonging and hope can take root anywhere, even above a highway, even in the heart of the city, and especially here in Oak Cliff.”
The park is set to open in spring 2026, and is expected to come with more than 250 trees, along with a stage and pavilion for concerts, a playground and an interactive water feature, among other amenities. The park is situated between South Ewing and South Marsalis avenues and is expected to attract more than 2 million visitors annually.
Halperin is the second deck park, in addition to Klyde Warren Park, in the City of Dallas.
