Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park announced a $10 million gift will fund construction on a next-generation, interactive “super fountain.”
The fountain is funded by a $10 million gift from longtime Klyde Warren Park board member Nancy Best and her husband, Randy. The Nancy Best Fountain will be located at the Pearl Street entrance of the Park. Designed by Los Angeles-based Fluidity Design Consultants, it features a central island of three stainless steel “trees” from which water will pulse and soar to heights of more than 55 feet in the air.
At the base of the fountain, children and adults are welcome to frolic in the shallow, highly reflective pool, turning Klyde Warren Park into one of the largest and most beautiful free water parks in Texas, according to a news release.
“The only way to describe this fountain is spectacular,” said Jody Grant, chairman of the board of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation. “It will truly be unlike anything seen before. When you look at aerial photos of Dallas in the future, we firmly believe this is the ‘blimp shot’ you will see. It will be a signature structure that by day beckons children at play and by night delights visitors with a spectacular show, reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower light show in Paris.”
Design of the fountain is currently underway, with installation starting this summer. The Nancy Best Fountain is anticipated to be completed by December 2021.
“Nancy Best has been a tireless advocate of the Park since its inception,” said Sheila Grant, Klyde Warren Park co-founder. “Her giving spirit and commitment to create a beautiful, perfect communal space for all of Dallas have long been a force behind the Park’s success. When Nancy called and said she and Randy wanted to underwrite the fountain’s construction, we were thrilled, but not entirely surprised because Nancy puts the Park and this city first. That she would offer such an incredible gift to our citizens in a year filled with so many challenges… well, that’s just Nancy.”
“Sheila and I have talked and dreamed about a signature fountain for years,” said Nancy Best. “The water features we currently have are some of the most used and beloved parts of the Park. In fact, one local publication named Klyde Warren Park one of the area’s top five water parks, and this will take that distinction to a whole new level. Klyde Warren Park has been a labor of love for both Randy and me. It’s a great honor and privilege to make this gift, and we hope it will spur others to do what they can, whether it be via donation, volunteering or simply a random act of kindness, to continue to make our city a place we can all be proud to call home.”
The Nancy Best Fountain is part of the Park’s ambitious Phase 2.0 project, which already includes: 1.7 acres of new park, featuring even more space for programming and events.
• An expanded Children’s Park, enhanced with a myriad of new features.
• An enlarged My Best Friend’s (dog) Park, relocated across the street to a shadier space.