Here's What's Hot On CBS11TV.COM:
Oct 9, 2009 8:27 pm US/Central
Groups Raising Money For Heritage Park Facelift
By Melissa Newton
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A Fort Worth park, closed because of safety concerns, could soon be getting a facelift. Efforts are underway to raise more than one million dollars to get
Heritage Park up to par and back open.
The park is located across from the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth.
For about two years now, the plaza to Heritage Park has been fenced off. But plans to revitalize and reopen the Fort Worth landmark will take a lot of research and a lot of money.
It was once called a modern marvel, but today Heritage Park leaves little to admire.
"I would be really interested in learning about it and seeing what it was like," Springfield, Missouri resident Sam Smalling said.
Smalling and his brother, Blake, stumbled upon the park while sightseeing. "It's kind of a shame," he said. "I mean it's just kind of back here in the corner."
Built on the sight of the original military post that gave Fort Worth its name,
Heritage Park is now gated and padlocked. It's a park rundown by time and weathered by climate.
"It's historically significant and it's a 112-acre park in downtown," explained the President of Downtown Fort Worth Inc., Andy Taft. The organization is one of many now trying to raise money to revitalize the park.
The city was forced to close the landmark two years ago. Broken bricks and uneven walkways created too many safety concerns, particularly for those with disabilities.
Heritage Park is now riddled with graffiti and overrun by the homeless. "It's time to bring this park into the lives of the people who live in Fort Worth and our visitors," Taft said. "We really need an active and exciting green space, and to have one that is actually on the river will make it that much more exciting."
The restoration committee hopes to have things like boat docks, bike rentals, food vendors, and geological and historical exhibits throughout the 112-acre park that runs along the Trinity River.
But before any of those upgrades can be made, the committee needs to raise money to research structural, electrical, traffic and design challenges. "I think if we're able to pull that off, that loneliness that the park had before is going to go away," Taft said.
The park transformation is something the Smalling brothers say they would come back to see. "Just to kind of think this is the place where Fort Worth kind of started," Smalling said. "And now it's closed because of a safety hazard."
Blake Smalling said, "I just hope they can reopen it, so people can get memories and take photos."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Hollywood Hair
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
