Magnolia Micro-Park

Magnolia Village

The Magnolia Micro-Park offers lasting fun in a new temporary public space.

Vibrant neighborhood
+ Temporarily vacant property
+ Team of outstanding partners
+ Generous property owner
+ Cost-effective plan
+ Civic-minded sponsors
+ Heaps of creativity
= Magnolia MicroPark

Located at intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Henderson Street in Fort Worth’s Near Southside, the Magnolia Micro-Park is a temporary and cost-effective conversion of vacant property into an engaging outdoor space for everyone's enjoyment. Leadership Fort Worthworking in partnership with Near Southside, Inc. is coordinating a community effort to transform this dormant space in the heart of Magnolia Avenue into a small public park that provides shade, art, and a safe place to play, relax, enjoy our Near Southside community.

OUR PARTNERS
Property owner Mike Dolabi has generously offered host the park on his land at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Henderson Street while he finalizes development plans for the parcel. The park is anticipated to remain in place for a one to two year period, depending on the construction schedule for Mr. Dolabi’s development. All of the fixtures of the Magnolia Micro-Park are designed to be a “kit of parts” that can later be disassembled and moved to a future micro-park location. Ideally, these park assets will be used for many years at a variety of different temporary micro-park sites throughout the Near Southside.

The incredible team of landscape architects at TBG Partners, with support from community members Jason Eggenburger and Steven Halliday of 97W and resident Kristen Camareno, volunteered their time to create a thoughtful design for the Magnolia Micro-Park. The plan centers the park around the ArtSouth container gallery and utilizes reclaimed bricks from South Main Street estimated to be nearly 100 years old. Wooden fence panels will create separation of the park from the remainder of the property but will also be used to hang public art pieces donated by artists Hillary Dohoney, Ben Groff, Jay Wilkinson, and John Worley. An interactive sound garden for children and creative seating solutions are all part of a plan to use repurpose common materials in creative ways. Many thanks to Jim Manskey, Eric Garrison and Jonathan Dunbar of TBG Partners for leading the design our Magnolia Micro-Park. Their vision has shaped this project!

Naturally, a great plan requires some heavy lifting! Our friends at Site Planning Site Development (SPSD) will be leading the construction of the Magnolia Micro-Park with a volunteer team of more than 40 professionals leveling and preparing the site. Special thanks to Christopher Cobb and Tracy Winkles of SPSD for their coordination of our entire volunteer construction team. Derek Whisenand of Whiz Q Stone, Paul Riechers of SiteOne Landscape Supply, Cruz Burciaga of B & S Fence and Lee Mendes Global Syn-Turf will all be providing the materials, labor and expertise necessary to transform this vacant space into a community treasure. Simply put, the Magnolia Micro-Park would not be possible without these generous partners.

The crowning jewel of the Magnolia Micro-Park will be beautiful shade trees throughout the space. Our most sincere thanks to Susan Folkert of GreenStock Nurseries for the donation of 7 lacebark elm trees and to Brandon Pederson of Brothersister Design for his services to construct the planter boxes. In addition, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center Fort Worth donated six large holly trees now relocated to the park from their campus due to an emergency room expansion project. Our thanks to Fannin Tree Farms for helping to relocate the holly trees at cost. Garreth Harrier of Bartlett Tree Experts is donating all of the tree care including pest/disease management, fertilization, and pruning and has also dropped off four large tree stumps to serve as seating in the shade of the elms. Special thanks to Schaefer Advertising for letting us borrow their electricity during construction and water to keep these thirsty trees hydrated!

Erik Cartmill and the Cornerstone Impressions team have built, stained and delivered four 4' custom picnic tables so the park offers a convenient place to enjoy lunch or an ice cream with Heim Barbecue and Melt, soon to open across the street.

Juilia Benitez, our partner at Kroger, has donated 90 milk crates that with the help of a few brightly color zip ties will become modular seating. Child Care Associates has donated a Thong-a-Phone interactive play wall for kids and kids-at-heart.

Extra special thanks to our longtime partners Mike Fisher and Jarrod Fay, owners of Glass Lake Production Group, for creating a time-lapse of the construction!

In addition to this impressive list of donations, the Magnolia Micro-Park has received financial support from Frost, Schaefer Advertising, Southside Bank, Medstar, WellsFargo, Hillwood, University of Texas at Arlington, Huitt-Zollars and a personal contribution from Joshua and Stephanie Roehm. You guys rock!

PARTNERS

Mike Dolabi Leadership Fort Worth Near Southside, Inc. Site Planning Site Development TBG Partners

SiteOne Landscaping Supply Global Syn-Turf GreenStock Nurseries Bartlett Tree Experts

Cornerstone Impressions Schaefer Advertising

SUPPORTERS
ACH Child & Family Services B & S Fence Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center Chambers Brick Sales

Child Care Associates Fannin Tree Farm Frost Glass Lake Production Group Hillwood Huitt-Zollars

JLB Construction Joshua and Stephanie Roehm Kent & Co. Kroger Medstar Southside Bank

Sunbelt Rentals The Big Picture University of Texas at Arlington WellsFargo Whiz Q Stone

VOLUNTEERS

A mighty army of volunteers have spent countless hours working on projects big and small. Our most sincere thanks to these friendly folks for making the Magnolia Micro-Park a reality.

James Adams · Andres Baretto · Juilia Benitez · Becky Bethel · David Black · Mike Brennan · Dan Brewer · Claire Brunner · Caroline Brunner · Mary Devereux Brunner · Savannah Brunner · Johnny Burnham · Mario Bustamantes · Kristen Camareno · Erik Cartmill · Ricardo Castrejon · Vincent Chariez, Jr. · Chris Cobb · Shane Cox · Clifton Crofford · Eleanor Crofford · Rick Davenport · Pat Davis · Hillary Dohoney · Jerald Donnell · Jonathan Dunbar · Jason Eggenburger · Jarrod Fay · Mike Fisher · Susan Folkert · Rachel Foster · Clay Gann · Eric Garrison · Destiny Green · Rangeley Grisel · Ben Groff · Cohen Jackson · Evelyn Jackson · Steven Halliday · Gareth Harrier · Kristan Harrison · Megan Henderson · Sam Himmelhaver · Clint Hicken · Reginald Johnson · Jameka Johnson · Bobby Jones · Rita Jones · Joan Jordan · Jack Kaminski · Melody Lancaster
Kyle Langner · Ken Loose · Stephanie Main · Jim Manskey · Stacy Marshall · Javian Marshall · Michele Massaro · Pattie McClean · Ann McFadyen · Kevin McGuffey · Lee Mendes · Zac Miller · Bill Millet · Kirk Millican · Claudia Montonia · Amanda Nelson · Juan Obergon · Josh Oliver · Lynn Opheim · Melissa Opheim · Talayshia Paige · Paul Paine · Cecil Partee · Brandon Pederson · Robert Read · Jerry Reyes · Luis Reyes · Paul Riechers · Randee Rotramel · Jeff Salavarria · Malorie Sarsgard · Tyrone Seals · Jeff Siegel · Tatara Siegel · Esme Stam · Larson Statham · Fred Stone · Jeff Stuart · Kara Waddell · Gabriela Weber · Jay Wilkinson · Tracy Winkles · John Worley

ABOUT US
Near Southside, Inc. (formerly Fort Worth South, Inc.) is a private, member-funded, non-profit 501(c)(4) development company dedicated to the revitalization of Fort Worth's Near Southside. NSI began as a small coalition of Near Southside businesses and community leaders and has grown dramatically over the last decade. We invite you to join us as we promote the redevelopment of Fort Worth's Near Southside as a vibrant, urban, mixed-use neighborhood. More at nearsouthsidefw.org

Leadership Fort Worth is based on the concept of community trusteeship. This concept challenges leaders to function as trustees, committing themselves to making their communities better places to live. LFW is four-fold including two adult leadership development programs, a program for 8th graders, and continuing education for the full membership. The purpose of LFW is to provide Fort Worth with diverse and enlightened leadership. The program was one of the original pace-setters in the country in 1972 and continues that status well into its third decade. More at leadershipfortworth.org