The Lemmon Avenue Streetscape Project, a City of Dallas project to bring more trees, landscaping, and trails to the neighboring communities around Dallas Love Field, has really taken shape in the past month, and the end result will be a transformation of the road that separates the airport from residential neighborhoods such as Bluffview and Briarwood.
Trees and ground cover have been planted along Lemmon Avenue, and trail canopies have been installed as part of the streetscape project slated for completion by Fall 2025. The streetscape comes as part of the most recent airport master plan update, which will bring enhancements to safety, walkability, and bicycle-friendliness to Lemmon Avenue and surrounding areas.
“We are still on schedule for Fall 2025,” said Rozalind Dickerson Cleaver, the community engagement manager for the Dallas Department of Aviation. “Midway Manor Park is 60% complete and will reopen in July.”
That is great news for children who live in the area. The new park replaces the old, dated park with new playground equipment and a safer, rubber flooring to prevent scraped knees. A perimeter walking trail will also be in place so parents can get their steps in while their children play in the park.
“This is a major improvement to Midway Manor Park and a nice amenity for the neighborhood,” said District 13 Dallas Park Board Member Calvert Collins-Bratton. “Bachman Lake Park has been overlooked for so many years. I am thrilled by these projects.”
Beautification Efforts Will Include Art and an Observation Area
Construction continues on the Primary Gateway feature, which will be located on the grassy triangle between Lemmon Avenue, Mockingbird Lane, and Airdrome Drive, Cleaver said.
The art to be installed in the area will be “related to flight.” The goal is to “beautify the area,” said. There will be other artwork installed along Lemmon Avenue.
For those who miss the days when you could just go to the airport and watch the planes land and take off, construction has started on a new Aircraft Observation Area.
The observation area is being built at George Coker Circle. Aviation enthusiasts will be able to access the area and watch the planes.
Streetscape Work Revitalizing Lemmon Avenue
With the City of Dallas Department of Aviation and the Dallas Park and Recreation Department working together to complete the improvements, the driving force behind all these endeavors has been the Friends of Bachman Lake group.
“The Friends group’s commitment to the area and not letting it be ignored” is why so much progress has been made in a short amount of time, Collins-Bratton said. “They have just been amazing.”
An example of the group’s work was facilitating the planting of 38 trees along the southside of the shoreline this past March.
FoBL’s other effort has been toward reclaiming and connecting trails around Bachman Lake Park and the Bachman Lake Greenbelt.
In order for that to happen, the parks department deployed “Operation Goat” where goats cleared out an invasive woody brush known as privet. The goats eating power will make it easier to create trails along the 40 acres of the Bachman Lake Greenbelt.
The goats made it back to the starting point along Cochran Chapel this past Saturday so they could be loaded up and taken to their next endeavor.
The effort behind increasing the trail system in Dallas is for the benefit of all residents. “I just think building more trails meets people where they are,” Collins-Bratton said.
Bachman Lake Park will continue to be shown the love on Saturday, May 17 as the Bachman Lake Skatepark has its official ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.
