Dallas Parks and Recreation officials 鈥� and a third-party consulting firm 鈥� say the city鈥檚 parks system is even more valuable than the last time it was examined nearly seven years ago. That鈥檚 according to a presentation during Monday鈥檚 Parks, Trails and the Environment Committee meeting.
According to the briefing, the parks system contributes to the city鈥檚 commercial real estate value, is driving the 鈥渟ustained economic development鈥� in Dallas and 鈥渕eaningfully leading to equitable outcomes.鈥�
But some council members questioned the firm鈥檚 data, the timing of their presentation 鈥� and how the parks system really adds to equity in the city.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold represents District 4 in southern Dallas. She says for her constituency, the narrative is different.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to figure out how you can use this data to say its going to promote all these attributes,鈥� Arnold said. 鈥淏ut here we have parks in our communities but we鈥檙e not seeing those benefits.鈥�
The briefing comes after the city鈥檚 bond taskforce voted to recommend nearly a third of the city鈥檚 capacity go toward parks and recreation.
In late November, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson used a portion of his State of the City address to defend the $350 million dollar parks and trails bond allocation 鈥� citing that when invested in correctly, the city gets 鈥渕ore bang for [the taxpayers] buck with parks and trails鈥� than with anything else the city uses tax dollars on.
鈥楨ven more valuable鈥�
Candace Damon is the chair of the board at HR&A 鈥� the consulting firm hired by the city to evaluate the parks and recreation system in 2016. She says that study was focused on demonstrating that the city鈥檚 park system generates substantial economic value.
鈥淲hat we did in that study was to compare how Dallas is investing in its park system to how similarly situated cities are investing,鈥� Damon said during the meeting. 鈥淎nd then to estimate the value鈥f the park system in terms of how it contributes to real estate value, to tourism spending and to green infrastructure.鈥�
Damon says when you look at those categories, the city鈥檚 park system produced around $678 million a year that 鈥渙therwise wouldn鈥檛 be rolling around in the Dallas economy,鈥� and conservatively yields a 7 to 1 return on investment for every dollar spent. That鈥檚 despite the system being under resourced at the time of the study, according to Damon.
This year, the firm compared the 2016 data with current economic conditions and factored in more recent investments the parks department has made.
鈥淎nd what we concluded is that if anything, the park system is even more valuable than it was in 2016,鈥� Damon said.
But committee members questioned the findings 鈥� and asked for more information about how the data was collected.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see it broken down on how you are qualifying the return of investment and why is it done at such a broad level,鈥� District 7 Council Member Adam Bazaldua said. 鈥淲e have parks in our park system that shouldn鈥檛 even be compared to each other especially when we鈥檙e talking about profitability.鈥�
Bazaldua said he still had questions about how this presentation about the parks system value worked with what the department has asked for in bond allocations.
The consultants also claim the Dallas parks system contributes to equity citywide 鈥� like 鈥渉elping to build intergenerational wealth.鈥� But some council members were not satisfied with the presentation and again asked for more information about the data collected for the study.
鈥淒id you look at data that related to the lifeline of individuals in southern Dallas neighborhoods with the parks that exist now?鈥� Arnold asked. 鈥淒o they not contribute anything at all?鈥�
Damon said the firm did not look at health outcomes in southern Dallas compared to health outcome sin other parts of Dallas in 2023. And the original study did not look at equity either.
鈥淲e looked at tourism, we looked at environmental, we looked at commercial real estate value increments,鈥� Damon said. 鈥淲e think that analysis holds up鈥n addition we think that there are almost certainly significant equity outcomes that have been achieved and will be achieved with appropriate investment in the future.鈥�
Damon says that assumption is based on 鈥渄etailed analysis of other cities鈥� compared to Dallas.
鈥楾he bottom line鈥�
The briefing is another chapter in the parks and recreation saga. As part of his reelection campaign, Johnson pushed for Dallas to be a leader in green spaces around the nation.
Since then, the city鈥檚 community bond taskforce 鈥� which is chaired by the president of the Dallas Parks and Recreation Board 鈥� voted to recommend a third of the city鈥檚 bond capacity go to the parks system.
The proposal also comes at a time when council members have directed city staff to evaluate the same real estate portfolio for other uses 鈥� like more housing or funding options to pay for billions in unfunded liabilities in the city鈥檚 Fire and Police Pension System.
Critics of the bond recommendations say some of that money should be used for more housing. Currently, $100 million has been recommended for housing and homelessness.
Johnson said 鈥渉istorically government is simply not good at playing the role of a housing developer.鈥�
Council members say while the understand the importance of greenspaces and parks 鈥� but say there are more pressing issues the city needs to deal with. Those include maintenance of current park facilities 鈥� and focusing out what Dallas residents say they need most.
鈥淭he bottom line is鈥e鈥檙e not against the parks,鈥� Arnold said during Monday鈥檚 meeting. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just please let us not try to show that the parks will be the great hope that will take us across the mark鈥e can take our families to the park, but we cannot live in the park.鈥�
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter .
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