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Thanksgiving Foundation seeks Dallas endorsement for expanded ‘Thanksgiving District’ downtown plan
Summary
The Thanksgiving Foundation presented a plan to expand Thanksgiving Square into a larger district with new public spaces, art, a restaurant/event venue and improved accessibility, and sought a public endorsement as it pursues regional and philanthropic funding.
The Thanksgiving Foundation on Wednesday presented a concept for an expanded “Thanksgiving District” around Thanksgiving Square and asked the Dallas City Council for a public endorsement to support fundraising.
Kyle Ogden, president and CEO of the Thanksgiving Foundation, described designs by Gensler that would open the square’s walls, add a pedestrian-first “stoa” and pop-up vendor areas, lower portions of the wall to create overlooks to the Philip Johnson Chapel, add an ADA-compliant ramp and an amphitheater, and include a new restaurant and event venue on the property’s western edge. “Your endorsement will be invaluable to us as we go to the community to raise funds,” Ogden said.
Ogden told council staff and members the project would improve downtown walkability and connection to nearby destinations including DART’s central downtown station, Clyde Warren Park and the convention center. He said the region’s transportation committee (North Central Texas Council of Governments’ regional transportation committee) approved $10 million in project funding contingent on a 2-for-1 philanthropic and other match and that the committee agreed to advance $500,000 for engineering work.
The foundation framed the project as a quality-of-life and economic catalyst that could increase property and sales taxes and hotel occupancy revenue downtown, and highlighted existing high visitation numbers to Thanksgiving Square (staff cited roughly 205,000 visits between fall 2023 and fall 2024). The foundation requested a visible, “loud, enthusiastic, and public endorsement” from council to aid fundraising and implementation.
Councilors said questions could be compiled and returned in writing or addressed in a subsequent committee briefing given the meeting’s packed schedule. No formal vote or commitment of city funds was taken at the briefing.
