An expanse of green and recreational space is soon to unfold in east Oak Cliff, as city officials, including Carolyn King Arnold of Dallas City Council District 4 and Arun Agarwal, President of the Dallas Park and Recreation Board, will converge on a dusty construction site to signal the birth of Roland G. Parrish Park. Promised to the community is a park brimming with amenities – an athletic field, a playground, a basketball pavilion, and other features that speak to an investment not just in land, but in the health and happiness of a community that is sometimes overlooked, according to the City of Dallas.
Parrish, the park’s namesake, whose portfolio boasts ownership of 27 restaurants in the Dallas area, has been a significant force in the revitalization of the city’s southern quarter. According to the Dallas Business Journal, his company is recognized as the second-largest minority-owned firm in North Texas. The Black Enterprise BE 100 has also lauded Parrish Restaurants, Ltd, placing it among the Top 100 Black-Owned Businesses in the United States. His investment in Dallas's rebirth stretches beyond the bounds of this 27-acre park project—it encompasses the Reimagining Red Bird Project that has brought a wave of economic revival to the area.
The new park, located at 2500 Morrell Avenue, will feature a range of amenities designed to enhance community wellness and social interaction. Next Monday, June 16, at 2 p.m., the sight of heavy machinery forging into the earth will mark the commitment to a $10 million venture that could become a cornerstone for East Oak Cliff and Cadillac Heights residents.
