Gift Represents Major Step Toward Completion of The LOOP Walk, Bike Trail

Oncor is donating 110 acres of undeveloped urban land to the City of Dallas for a new trail and bike path near Parkdale Lake in southeastern Dallas that will eventually help connect some 50 miles of existing trails around the city. Oncor’s gift is the largest contribution of land to the city since 1938.

Mayor Eric Johnson, Oncor CEO Allen Nye and city and community leaders announced the gift at a City Hall event Tuesday. The stretch of donated land is located just west of White Rock Creek and north of Highway 352 and will complete the Trinity Forest Spine Trail and The LOOP, a 50-mile walk and bike trail connecting north, south, east and west Dallas. Oncor and city leaders have been discussing the donation for several years.

“The initiative by the City of Dallas and the Circuit Trail Conservancy (CTC) to unite Dallas’ neighborhoods is a big win for our entire community,” Nye said. “The LOOP will connect Dallas in a way that increases access for all residents to our city’s economic resources, enhances green space and improves overall quality of life. We’re so proud to be a part of making this project a reality.”

The donated land has been owned by Oncor, or one of its predecessor companies, for decades. The Parkdale Lake was created as part of the former Parkdale generation plant.

“Dallas is flourishing because we are intently focused on providing an amazing quality of life for our residents,” Mayor Johnson said. “We are eliminating blight and building new parks, trails, and green spaces across our city. The donation of Parkdale Lake and the surrounding land is huge for Dallas. It will create new recreational opportunities and help us connect our neighborhoods through our trail system. I am excited about the possibilities, and I am grateful to our partners at Oncor and the Circuit Trail Conservancy for helping us make this new park possible.”

Following unanimous approval from the Dallas City Council in 2018, the CTC and the city’s partnership was established to create a comprehensive, alternative transportation solution funded by a combination of public and generously donated private dollars. By strategically building new trails linked to existing ones, the CTC is leading the formation of a walkable circuit in the heart of urban Dallas.

Oncor is a long-time supporter of the city’s parks and trails system, contributing other parcels of land to this purpose over the years. In fact, 29 miles of the City’s hike and bike trails are built on Oncor property.

The parkland is also located near Lawnview Park, a 38-acre space that the city established in 1948. City Councilmember Adam Bazaldua, who represents the Parkdale Lake area, said the donation could help the city attract and retain families.

“This land donation is such exciting news for Southeast Dallas,” said Bazaldua, who chairs the City Council’s Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee. “Parks are critical to the quality of life for our residents, and Parkdale Lake has so much potential to bring recreation programming while also acting as a catalyst for economic growth in the surrounding area. I am very thankful for Oncor’s generous donation and for the Circuit Trail Conservancy‘s continued commitment to multimodal connection and preservation of green space in our city.”