Oak Cliff's future skate park just got a big financial push thanks to some local supporters. Monty and Sarah Bennett have rolled in with a $25,000 donation towards the Westmoreland Skate Park, making it the largest single gift the park's funding has received to date, City Council member Chad West told The Dallas Express. The couple known for their business acumen, including Monty's lead at Ashford Inc. and the couple's co-founding of The Dallas Express, made the donation following Sarah's podcast interview with West.
This hefty check brings the total funds raised to just shy of $100,000, on the way to a goal of $400,000 needed so the City of Dallas can match the amount and get the wheels turning on construction. "Monty and Sarah Bennett's generous contribution helps us shred previous fundraising records for this amenity," West said, determined to see donations keep flowing until the park's opening day. The first phase of the park's development comes with an $800,000 price tag, and advocates are now on the lookout for a naming sponsor to cover the remaining financial distance, West detailed in his conversation with Oak Cliff Advocate.
The Westmoreland Skate Park's successful launch is critical, as it will be the first such facility in Southern Dallas and the first to utilize a public-private fundraising strategy for its creation. Dallas' skateboarding community currently has limited options, with only one skate park in East Dallas and another under the design at Bachman Lake Park, as reported by city officials.
Originally, funds had been earmarked for a different skate park in the 2024 bond, but after community debate that plan was ditched, leaving the door open for potential reallocation of those resources towards Westmoreland. Clinton Haley, founder of Skate Parks for Dallas, said, "It sure would be nice to get that $400,000 funded and matched so we can go ahead and get phase one underway." West expressed his hope that all residents, supporters, and opponents alike of the scrapped Glencoe Skate Park, will come together to support the Westmoreland project, offering a much-needed space for skaters in this part of town, as per Oak Cliff Advocate.
