Guides: Melissa Konur (APA, AICP), Randy Hutcheson (CNU-A), & Tary Arterburn (ASLA)
Melissa Konur is the Planning Director at Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. (DFWI). She manages the restoration efforts of Heritage Park Plaza in partnership with the City of Fort Worth.
Randy Hutcheson is a manager within the Planning and Development Department at the City of Fort Worth. He manages the restoration efforts of Heritage Park Plaza in partnership with Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.
Tary Arterburn is a principle at Studio Outside, the landscape architecture firm that was awarded the restoration contract for Heritage Park Plaza in partnership with Bennett Benner Partners Architects and Planners.
After nearly a decade of being closed to the public, Heritage Park Plaza is in the midst of a comprehensive restoration effort. Located atop a bluff overlooking the Trinity River, Heritage Park Plaza was designed by Lawrence Halprin in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States. Halprin used a technique he would later expand on at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. to create a series of interconnected outdoor “rooms”, punctuated by water features and plantings. The current restoration effort is spearheaded Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. in coordination with the City of Fort Worth.
The city owned, public park was closed in 2007 amidst safety concerns. Studio Outside, a Dallas-based landscape architecture firm, is managing the restoration in partnership with Fort Worth firm Bennett Benner Partner Architects and Planners. The project includes repairing the historically-significant Lawrence Halprin design so that the water and lighting features operate as they were originally intended.
This tour offers an inside look at the restored landscape. Representatives from DFWI, Studio Outside and the city will guide participants through the site, while discussing Halprin’s design and how it has proven both successful and challenging within the framework of long-term maintenance. Arterburn will also discuss the specific challenges involved in restoring a historic landscape, and the research and decisions involved in such an undertaking.
This tour is part of a larger program intended to celebrate the life and legacy of landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. Learn more about the program and view other tours by returning to the event page for What's Out There Weekend: The Public Landscapes of Lawrence Halprin.
