The new year marks the 30th anniversary of one of Arlington’s milestone achievements.
Moreover, it’s a regional success story happily shared with residents throughout North Texas.
It all started with an idea, early in my mayoral service. The city’s parks director (at the time), Donna Brasher, presented her concept for a new park to Arlington’s First Lady, Sylvia Greene – my wife, in case you don’t immediately make the connection.
Yes, this story is somewhat personal, but actually, totally public. Read on.
Donna cited a 300-acre parcel along what is now Green Oaks Boulevard that had been donated to the city many years earlier. Its only use had been as a Scouting campground in the woods.
Most people didn’t realize that the northern limits of our city reached far beyond that site, through the forest, to the Trinity River. However, you couldn’t get to the river without crossing privately-owned land. If you tried, it would be trespassing.
Donna imagined turning it all into the city’s largest park, providing the public with the opportunity to experience the expansive forest flood plain and all its natural wonders.
There was also the thought of building some sort of nature center with $500,000 of voter-approved park improvements.
So, what was needed was leadership, and Donna thought that Sylvia would be the ideal person to form a non-profit organization (that would become the River Legacy Foundation) and, as its president, begin to raise money to make the expanded park and nature center a reality someday.
My wife’s reaction was that she had not done anything like that before.
Donna’s response: “As Arlington’s First Lady, doors will open for you.”
She was correct. With the assistance of the Foundation’s new board members, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Snider and key leaders in the business community, they went on to acquire another 1,000 acres, and the dream of an environmental wonder for public access had been realized.
That included Arlington’s 8-mile paved trail along the Trinity, demonstrating it could connect Dallas and Fort Worth and the cities in between – a mission that will soon become a reality.
But what about the idea of that nature center?
Realizing the $500,000 park bond money wasn’t sufficient to construct a first-tier nature center, Sylvia led the Foundation in finding an architectural firm with experience in such projects.
They located the national award-winning Jones Studio in Tempe, Arizona, which produced a proposal that defined the dream.
The renderings that Eddie Jones delivered were, as he declared, actually interpreted by the Trinity Forest itself.
Upon presentation to me and all the city council at a public work session, it was unanimously declared to be an extraordinary centerpiece for the park.
Unfortunately, they lamented, the projected cost of $5 million so far exceeded the available funds that it just couldn’t be done.
Returning home that evening, my wife said something to me like, “Ye of little faith, we are going to raise that money privately – just hide and watch.”
And they proceeded to deliver on that promise and became the first Arlington non-profit organization to raise that much money for any single project.
When the building was finished, the Foundation deeded its title to the city and entered into the first of its kind public/private partnership to manage the operations of the new facility.
The ribbon-cutting and dedication event occurred in 1996, thus making this New Year its 30th anniversary of providing environmental and natural science education to more than 1 million AISD students and many more in its expansive programs.
All of that is in addition to hosting events, fundraising activities, and more throughout the years, contributing significantly to the quality of life for all the city’s residents and many others who visit the Center from all around the region.
In subsequent years, the foundation would add another $2.5 million of private funding for new improvements and create the Discovery Room, hosting traveling exhibitions featuring still more environmental and wildlife experiences.
When I think about this story, I’m reminded of the turning point in making the Center a reality when my wife’s vision and determination exceeded my own.
But that’s okay since I get undeserved credit for it all, standing in the aura of her achievements.
Richard Greene is a former mayor
of Arlington.
