Dallas council committee approves development deal for Belo Garden

Dallas Morning News
Rudolph Bush // December 7, 2009

Without discussion, the City Council's Economic Development Committee has approved a plan for development of downtown's second major park, Belo Garden.

The park's development will be funded with city bond money and through Belo Corp., the Belo Foundation and Robert and Maureen Decherd.

The company and the foundation donated a combined $5.5 million for the park's construction. In addition, Robert Decherd, chairman of Belo Corp., and his wife Maureen, have provided $1 million as an endowment for the park's upkeep and improvements. Total funding amounts to $14.5 million.

Decherd is also chairman and chief executive of A.H. Belo Corporation, parent company of the The Dallas Morning News.

The 1.6 acre park at Main Street and Griffin Avenue is scheduled to open in early 2012. It is intended to complement Main Street Garden at the other end of downtown.

Where Main Street Garden is a heavily programmed park with features like a dog run, a kid's playground and a restaurant, Belo Garden is intended to be a more serene space, although current designs do include fountains that visitors can stroll through.