The West Dallas Gateway, Future Site of Street Fairs, Concerts and Concession Stands

Drove the Continental Avenue bridge several times over the weekend on back-and-forth trips to Oak Cliff; the boy and I even pulled over on the west side, at the under-construction entrance to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, to grab the quick pic seen below. As mentioned Friday, all that and more will be a topic of discussion at today's meeting of the council's Trinity River Corridor Project Committee when David Whitley of the CityDesign Studio provides an update on the $11.7-million project. And, as promised, here's that lengthy briefing, which provides new renderings of the pedestrian park and West Dallas Gateway.

The eastern entrance from Riverfront won't get much of a makeover -- just some additional parking, a staircase and some landscaping to go along with the Jack in the Box, Southern Maid Donuts, bail-bond business, Big Daddy's and for-sale warehouses. The wholesale makeover will take place on the West Dallas side (just a few blocks from W. Main Street, for those who've never driven down that stretch of street in the shadow of the Calatrava).

There, as you'll note, they're talking about making the bridge accessible from the neighborhood, adding in "much-needed vehicular parking," creating a "plaza/gathering space" and providing "a strong bicycle & pedestrian connection from the bridge/plaza to adjacent development opportunities." Also included: a look-see at sites that could be used in the future for street fairs, concerts and concession (beneath what appears to be a translucent done of some kind). As noted Friday, the city expects to have this wrapped by August of next year.