Landscape architecture, planning & urban design firm’s design earns Texas Recreation and Park Society’s Planning Excellence Award for the 172-acre Central Park in Grand Prairie, Texas
Dallas, March 8, 2011 – Central Park in Grand Prairie, designed by landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm MESA, has been honored with the 2011 Planning Excellence Award from the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) for its master plan and landscape design. Each year, TRAPS recognizes one park or recreation planning project (master/strategic plan) which displays a high degree of professional analysis, quality planning principles and organizational- or community-wide value.
Since opening in June 2010, the 172-acre Central Park in Grand Prairie has become a landmark destination in the community of Grand Prairie, Texas. The park features a 36-acre lake system with five lakes (two of which are stocked with fish), three waterfalls and walking/jogging trails circling the lakes. The City of Grand Prairie is planning to move many of its most popular events to this site including the annual Kid Fish festival. Central Park’s first phase of development includes the new public safety facility and The Summit at Central Park, an innovative recreation center for active 50-plus citizens. Both facilities provide programmatic anchors for the park and help integrate it into the daily lives of city residents. Restored prairie and wetlands also offer outdoor educational opportunities for visitors.
“From New York City’s famed Central Park to Grand Prairie’s very own, the power of parks and well-designed outdoor spaces to engage and activate communities is universal. Everyone at MESA is proud of our work on this project and we’re grateful for the leadership and vision of Grand Prairie’s Mayor, City Council and Parks and Recreation Department to make this wonderful community resource a reality,” said Stan Cowan, principal at MESA.
The Planning Excellence Award, as well as a variety of scholarships and other individual member and state-wide project honors, was officially awarded at the TRAPS annual convention, held in March 2011, in McAllen, Texas.
About TRAPS:
The Texas Recreation and Park Society is a non-profit professional and educational organization founded over 70 years ago to advance the profession of parks, recreation, and leisure services in Texas. A state affiliate member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the Society also maintains professional affiliate relationships with several state universities, athletic and civic organizations, recreational entities, state agencies, and commercial vendors who provide services or programs related to parks, recreation, and leisure service management.
About MESA:
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2011, Dallas-based MESA is an award-winning, international landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm. Projects range from large-scale, comprehensive, master-planning projects for commercial, civic, educational and institutional clients to intimate residential garden spaces on private estates. High-profile Texas projects include Central Park in Grand Prairie, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano, the gardens at NorthPark Center in Dallas, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and Shangri La Botantical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange. For more information about MESA, visit http://www.mesadesigngroup.com.
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High-resolution images of Central Park at Grand Prairie are available upon request or can be downloaded directly at URL.
Media Contact: Cooper Smith
cooper@coopersmithagency.com, (214) 329-9191