Last week we hosted a wonderful event to celebrate The Addy Foundation for its extraordinary $5 million gift to make The Loop Plaza possible, to highlight their incredible generosity and express our gratitude to our major donors. Ten years into this adventure, The Loop Dallas is changing the way our city moves.
The night showcased how The Loop Dallas started as a passion project— and thanks to $10 million in private donations and $80 million in public funding, it has transformed into a legacy asset for our growing city. What started as an idea in 2014 was propelled forward by key leadership gifts, including a 2015 initial investment from The Addy Foundation.
Bill Addy of The Addy Foundation said it well, “We live in a community that’s got certain advantages. The trail goes through a lot of communities that don’t have the same advantages that we have. But we’re connected. We get a chance to ride through them. My guess, our guess, is that restaurants will pop up . . . apartments will pop up . . . and that soon we’ll be riding through communities that look better than prior to the trail being established.”
Our city is a better place because of philanthropic organizations like The Addy Foundation. We thank them, and appreciate the support from all of our donors for helping us Connect Dallas to Dallas.
Our newest project, The Loop Plaza, will be the front porch of The Loop Dallas, creating a natural transition between two elevations and forming a new green space that takes you from the Katy Trail to the new Hi Line Connector— a one-mile urban trail that expands the iconic placemaking of the Katy Trail through Victory Park and the Design District, on to the Trinity Strand Trail.
The current retaining wall at Victory Avenue on Houston Street will transform into an open space that serves as a walk and bike trail, and a gathering place for visitors and those who live and work in the area. This year, the Katy Trail is set to host three million people— now, these trail users will be able to continue their adventures past I-35 and into the Design District, Trinity River system and beyond. This direct access will allow people to safely connect to restaurants, shops, businesses and residences in one of the busiest areas of Dallas. This project is made possible by the partnership between The Loop Dallas, the City of Dallas and private donors.
You will begin to see construction and signage on the Katy Trail in the next few months as we begin work on The Loop Plaza.
As always, we sincerely appreciate your support.
See you on the trails,
Jeff Ellerman
Board Chairman
The Loop Dallas
