BNSF Foundation Pledges $1 Million Toward Fort Worth's Heritage and Paddock Parks Overhaul

The BNSF Railway Foundation has pledged $1 million to Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives Inc. (DFWII) to support the redevelopment of Heritage and Paddock parks, the organization announced on 2025-04-23.

The two neighboring parks sit just north of the Tarrant County Courthouse. Plans call for redesigning and renovating them with new water features, lighting, elevated accessible walkways, seating areas, play equipment, landscaping, educational displays, public art, performance spaces and pedestrian improvements.

Mayor Mattie Parker said the work would draw people back to the site of the city's origins. "These parks will bring people back to where Fort Worth began. From the top of the bluff to the river, these public spaces will be reclaimed for everyone to enjoy," she said.

The effort traces back to the late Ruth Carter Stevenson, who gathered civic leaders to address the fate of Heritage Plaza. That plaza was closed in 2007 for safety reasons. It is an urban landscape designed by Lawrence Halprin and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, where it is described as a masterpiece of its kind.

DFWII is leading the design process in partnership with the City of Fort Worth. The design team is building on Halprin's original recommendations. These include making Weatherford and Belknap streets friendlier to pedestrians, improving Paddock Park on the courthouse's north side, and adding a connection that crosses the bluff between downtown and the river. Additional gathering spaces, performance areas, utilities and other amenities are also planned.

Organizers have set a total fundraising goal of $55 million. With the BNSF Foundation's contribution, current funding stands at roughly $44 million. Construction is targeted to begin in 2026-27, but that timeline depends on fundraising success, completion of the design and regulatory approvals.

Louise Appleman, co-chair of the project's fundraising effort, described the parks as underused assets. "Heritage and Paddock parks are city and county open space gems in the rough," she said. "This project will transform the north end of downtown by converting unused park land into beautiful, active spaces for residents, visitors and guests to enjoy. These gems, once polished, will be new Fort Worth attractions that share our story, showcase our topography and create joyful memories for everyone."