New Dallas park built over a highway reconnects a divided community
Halperin Park, a new park in Dallas spanning I-35E adjacent to the Dallas Zoo, recently opened. Built on a structural deck over the interstate between Ewing and Marsalis Avenues, the park restores a connection across the freeway while acting as a catalyst for equitable economic development in southern Dallas.
Delivered via a public-private partnership led by the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation in collaboration with the City of Dallas and the Texas Department of Transportation, Halperin Park represents nearly a decade of planning, community engagement, and advocacy.
The project progressed during the Texas Department of Transportation’s reconstruction of I-35E, using a rare construction window to reclaim freeway airspace as a public park.
Designed by a Dallas-based team led by HKS and SWA, the park is organized into a sequence of public spaces that translate Oak Cliff’s cultural history and underlying geology into built form.
Across the deck, sculptural landforms create a constructed “escarpment” that recalls the chalk, shale, and limestone strata beneath the neighborhood. Subtle grade changes and planting guide movement, frame views, and create gathering spaces at multiple scales.
Key programmatic anchors include the north-south 12th Street Promenade, which restores a walkable connection over I-35E; a flexible great lawn and glulam performance shell for concerts and civic events; a central pavilion and shaded plaza designed for markets, vendors, and community gatherings; an amphitheater and outdoor classroom; play areas and quieter gardens scaled for everyday use; and elevated overlooks offering long views across southern Dallas toward the downtown skyline.
A robust tree canopy, integrated water features, and shaded seating are distributed throughout the park, helping cool one of Dallas’ most heat-vulnerable areas while extending comfort and usability across seasons and times of day.
Phase I of Halperin Park is fully funded and open. A future Phase II, extending the deck between Lancaster and Marsalis Avenues, would expand the park to a total of 5 acres.
A preliminary analysis by the University of North Texas at Dallas estimates that Phase I alone could attract more than two million visitors annually and generate over $1 billion in economic impact within its first five years.
On the project team:
Owner and/or developer: City of Dallas; Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation
Design architect: HKS
Architect of record: HKS
MEP engineer: Purdy-McGuire
Structural engineer: HKS
General contractor/construction manager: McCarthy Building Companies
