Fort Worth, Texas Moves Forward with Plans to Restore Heritage Park Plaza
Since Heritage Park Plaza was closed to the public in 2007, the City of Fort Worth has taken steps to thoughtfully restore this significant Modernist-era design.
Heritage Park Plaza, photo courtesy Randy HutchesonIn 2011 Downtown Fort Worth Inc. and the City of Fort Worth were granted approval by the Heritage Plaza Steering Committee to proceed with efforts to restore the plaza, which was designed by noteworthy landscape architect Lawrence Halprin for the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial Celebration. Consultants were hired to complete a structural analysis, soil and tree survey and make recommendations on the necessary repairs to the site. The work included an assessment of the structural integrity and stability of the plaza which sits on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River. A consultant determined that the site was geologically stable, and recommended a series of small repairs that include reattaching the cantilevered belvedere to the main plaza so that it can better respond to minor geologic movement. A fountain consultant evaluated the plaza’s extensive fountain system, which includes waterfalls, water walls and concrete water channels. The evaluation provided the City with vital information needed to determine the work required to reactivate the water features, which have been turned off since the park’s closure.
On May 10, 2014, citizens of Fort Worth will vote on a bond package. Included in the package is $1.5 million for Heritage Park Plaza’s restoration. If passed, this money combined with funding from private sources will be integral to restoration efforts. In anticipation of the vote, Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. released a Request for Proposals (RFP) on April 14, 2014. If the bond package passes, Downtown Fort Worth Inc. and the City of Fort Worth hope to move quickly towards the goal of restoring and reopening Heritage Park Plaza.