The census tracts adjacent to the deck park are some of the most impoverished in the country. The adjacent zip codes, 75203, 75208, 75216 and 75224, are areas that lack basic resources like grocery stores, health clinics, and employment centers. Capital investments taking place on the west side of I-35E — such as Bishop Arts and the Jefferson Boulevard corridor are slow to reach I-35 itself, and provide limited benefits to the disconnected citizens on the east side. This new, iconic Deck Park will support economic development, the environment, education, and community access.
Equitable Development
The deck park will attract economic investment on a scale similar to other landmark projects like Klyde Warren Park and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. A task force is creating an Equitable Development Plan ensuring responsible growth.
Education
Six DISD schools are in a one-mile radius of the park. Out-of-school programming, a partnership with the Dallas Zoo, and additional curriculum that incorporates the Park's physical amenities will improve the area’s education metrics.
Environment
The Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation worked with the nationally respected mapping programs of the nearby Bishop Dunne Catholic School to utilize Esri and their GIS software to pinpoint data based on census tracts that touch a one-mile radius of the park.
The Texas Trees Foundation released its Urban Heat Management Study in 2017 and noted the fact that Dallas is heating up faster than every city in the country except Phoenix. The study suggests tree planting and additional green space is needed to reverse these effects. The deck park will create more than five acres of brand new green space over a man-made concrete canyon.
Community Access
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) has committed $9 million to engineering enhanced connectivity from the Park to the future high-speed rail station, the Trinity Strand Trail, and the Loop Trail. Projects include hike and bike trails, pedestrian-friendly bridges, and streetcar access.