22 replies to this topic

[vjackson]

Burnett Park might be redesignedBy SANDRA BAKER
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
FORT WORTH -- Burnett Park, the 3-acre park at the base of the 40-story Burnett Plaza office tower in downtown Fort Worth, may be redesigned.

Downtown Fort Worth Inc. and the city's Parks Department have agreed to work together to make the park more usable, but also more cost-efficient to operate.

The design process will be managed by Downtown Fort Worth Inc., and the cost will be underwritten by the Burnett Foundation.

The park was given to the city in the 1950s, but the Burnett Foundation funds its ongoing maintenance.

Downtown Fort Worth Inc. has already contacted Peter Walker and Partners Landscape Architecture, a Berkeley, Calif., firm that last redesigned the park in 1983.

Representatives will be in town Wednesday to walk the park and meet with the Burnett Park Advisory Committee.

The 80-year-old-plus greenscape on Lamar Street, between Seventh and 10th, has been relandscaped and redesigned only a few times.

Its current design is a geometric pattern of sidewalks along a series of small water pools with fountains, in addition to the large planters of flowers and formal tree settings. The granite sidewalks have primarily served as a pass-through.

The park served as the location for a climactic street fight scene in an episode of the Walker, Texas Ranger TV series starring Chuck Norris, with Norris dumping a thug into one of the fountains.

"We hope that the new design will soften the park, making it more usable by the general public and the many residents moving to downtown," Neils Agather, executive director of the Burnett Foundation, said in a statement.

A public hearing will be scheduled for later this year so downtown residents and business owners can offer ideas, Downtown Fort Worth Inc. said. The planning process is expected to be completed by mid-summer, with construction starting soon after.

[vjackson]

"We hope that the new design will soften the park, making it more usable by the general public and the many residents moving to downtown," Neils Agather, executive director of the Burnett Foundation, said in a statement.

In all of my years in DFW, I've never walked through the park. It always seemed like it was mainly for employees of Burnett Plaza, IMO. I think it needs to opened up and made more inviting and more like an actual park and less like an appendage to the office building. Also, I never got the metal pipes sticking out of the ground. When I first saw the fountains, I thought they were still being built.

[cbellomy]

Before the 1983 redesign, Burnett Park was actually quite pretty and inviting. Seems like they used to put the city Christmas tree there back in the 70's. The '83 redesign was awful, IMO, and definitely unpopular. I remember reading lots of angry letters about it in the Star-T back then.

Hopefully they'll take it back to being more of a wooded green space now.

[cbellomy]

Some views of the old Burnett Park can be seen here.

[cberen1]

In all of my years in DFW, I've never walked through the park. It always seemed like it was mainly for employees of Burnett Plaza, IMO. I think it needs to opened up and made more inviting and more like an actual park and less like an appendage to the office building. Also, I never got the metal pipes sticking out of the ground. When I first saw the fountains, I thought they were still being built.

This is somewhat true, in part because there aren't many other large offices on this side of downtown. Burnett represents most of the people in the immediate area. And there are virtually no ground floor retail establishments. I'm not sure a redesign is going to fix it. There's no parking. It's not very inviting to a passerby. But, it is pretty inviting to the Burnett Plaza tennants.

I actually really like the place The sticks look a little funny in the daytime, but at night (if they're working) they're really neat. Each one has a light inside the pipe. When the light illuminate the bubbling water coming out of the tops, they look like a bunch of candles. There are also lights in the walkways that are pretty subtle. The evening definitely takes the edge off the place.

Maintenance has to be a nightmare. I've never gone a week without seeing something being worked on. They are constantly repairing the fountains, pulling stuff out of the fountains, working on the asian jasmine, etc. On a $/ft. basis, this has to be one of the most expensive parks to maintain in Texas.

[vjackson]

This is somewhat true, in part because there aren't many other large offices on this side of downtown. Burnett represents most of the people in the immediate area. And there are virtually no ground floor retail establishments. I'm not sure a redesign is going to fix it. There's no parking. It's not very inviting to a passerby. But, it is pretty inviting to the Burnett Plaza tennants.

If they want to attract people to the new park, I would suggest a "dancing fountain" like the one at Fountain Place in Dallas. I work in the building and the fountains that surround the buildings are beautiful, but very loud. But its the dancing fountain that brings people off the streets with cameras in tow. And nothing is funnier than in the summer time when unknowing tourist think the dancing fountain is public and bring their shirtless kids from the Fairmount Hotel next door. It a blast watching the kids run through the fountain, trying to figure out the next water sequence...until one of the surly security guards gives them the boot.

A PUBLIC dancing fountain would be the way to go if you really want the public to use the park...IMO I always thought the Water Gardens could have used some type of dancing fountian, for kids (and us adults) to play in.

[cberen1]

A PUBLIC dancing fountain would be the way to go if you really want the public to use the park...IMO I always thought the Water Gardens could have used some type of dancing fountian, for kids (and us adults) to play in.

If you read the quote from Mr. Burnett about the park, I think that was his intent. A place to soak your feet on a hot day.

I've always thought that the water gardens could use a vertical fountain. I love falling water, but I would also love to have something shooting up into the air. Maybe that's taboo given the perrennial water shortages around here.

[Now in Denton]

If you read the quote from Mr. Burnett about the park, I think that was his intent. A place to soak your feet on a hot day.

I've always thought that the water gardens could use a vertical fountain. I love falling water, but I would also love to have something shooting up into the air. Maybe that's taboo given the perrennial water shortages around here.

I like your idea about a shooting fountain. But whats more taboo than the city of Las Vegus. Outdoor swimming dolphins. And the giant water display at the Bellagio. And green golf courses .Green laws in front of peoples houses?. While southern California grows more thirsty?

[mbdalton1]

I'm not sure I like the idea of a shooting fountain. Not so peaceful for me. I office caddy-corner to the park on West 7th Street and the park is nice and shady on a warm spring/summer day. The current water feature is more peaceful in my opionion.

Now, softening up the hard angles might be a good idea but I lean toward any design that leaves the park restful and peaceful and shady with some spots of light getting through. It is a good place to go and eat lunch outside or just sit and relax during the work day.

I don't think of it as being a great destination type park with lots of busy, noisy people.

That's just my take on it....

Mary Bess

[Fort Worthology]

I'm not sure I like the idea of a shooting fountain. Not so peaceful for me. I office caddy-corner to the park on West 7th Street and the park is nice and shady on a warm spring/summer day. The current water feature is more peaceful in my opionion.

Now, softening up the hard angles might be a good idea but I lean toward any design that leaves the park restful and peaceful and shady with some spots of light getting through. It is a good place to go and eat lunch outside or just sit and relax during the work day.

I don't think of it as being a great destination type park with lots of busy, noisy people.

That's just my take on it....

Mary Bess

The Burnett Park redesign was actually mentioned to me several months back by a rep from the Neil P. The gist of the idea is to open up the middle of the park, making it more grassy and inviting for, well, park stuff. Get rid of a lot of the paving, add much more grassy area, that sort of thing. Give it the ability to have picnics or frisbee tossing. His words were to the effect of "make it more residential-friendly, rather than just an office worker's park." Didn't surprise me to hear that the Neil P. folks were apparently in the loop about it, and I agree with the proposal. The old layout seemed a lot better to me than the current one, though the current one isn't bad or anything.

[cberen1]

I'm not sure I like the idea of a shooting fountain. Not so peaceful for me. I office caddy-corner to the park on West 7th Street and the park is nice and shady on a warm spring/summer day. The current water feature is more peaceful in my opionion.

Mary Bess

I meant that the Water GArdens could use a shooting fountain, not Burnett Park. I like BP just the way it is (minus all the constant maintenence).

[texastrill]

How about more artwork?DT in general could use more artwork/sculptures.

[JOCOguy]

I can remember the Christmas tree and the goldfish pond in Burk Burnett park when I was young. I actually liked it better then than the water park it has now. I hope they restore the pond.

[Bernd]

How about more artwork?DT in general could use more artwork/sculptures.

Yeah, maybe we could trade the giant Jonathan Borovsky for three or four sculptures of a more inviting and human scale.

[Fort Worthology]

No way am I going to let anybody take away the Briefcase Man. I love that thing.

[FWFF'r]

Looking forward to seeing the park redesigned. I formally proposed to my wife there in front of the huge Christmas tree with engagement ring in pocket Dec. 23, 1981. Then the park was mostly shrubby & a good place for the homeless to sleep, but in my opinion, looked better then than now.

Sorry, but I never liked the briefcase man sculpture...

[RD Milhollin]

I think the "Briefcase Man" sculpture would be best resituated as the centerpiece of a public plaza on the block where the CNB/Landmark Bldg. used to be. At Burnet Park it is sort of isolated in a corner of the property, but in the "Crosstimbers Plaza" it would be centrally sited and surrounded by office structures. It just seems to me that the scale of the sculpture would be more complementary to the surroundings, and vice versa, there. It could be mounted on a pedestal in the middle of a fountain with descending steps all around where downtown workers, with or without their own briefcases, could enjoy an outdoor lunch. Three levels of parking underneath of course.

[vjackson]

Sorry, but I never liked the briefcase man sculpture...

I've never particularly liked it, but I do agree with Prarie Pup, it might just need to be relocated to make it more appealing. The current location is kind of odd and isolated.

[Fort Worthology]

It's gotten little fanfare, but the redesign of Burnett Park is apparently underway.

They are removing flowers and shrubs as we speak. The plan is to remove the granite planter boxes around the perimeter and replace them with ground-level planters full of flowers I believe. The fountains are all being removed, filled with dirt to be flush with the walkways, and replanted with grass, and the sunken grass between the granite walkways will be removed. Those areas will be raised and made flush with the granite and replanted.

The old Christmas tree will be removed and a new, healthy one put in its place and the fencing removed (I believe). There are also plans for a kid-friendly sculpture play area.

[RD Milhollin]

It's gotten little fanfare, but the redesign of Burnett Park is apparently underway...

The fountains are all being removed, filled with dirt to be flush with the walkways, and replanted with grass, and the sunken grass between the granite walkways will be removed. Those areas will be raised and made flush with the granite and replanted.

AG, are ALL the fountains being filled in? Seems like it would be good to preserve some water element for the park, being at the edge of West Texas and all. I agree that park doesn't need an acre of shallow water sprinkler mist, but a fountain would be nice.

[Fort Worthology]

AG, are ALL the fountains being filled in? Seems like it would be good to preserve some water element for the park, being at the edge of West Texas and all. I agree that park doesn't need an acre of shallow water sprinkler mist, but a fountain would be nice.

When I said "all the fountains," I meant "all the fountains *except* the big one by the wall with the Burnett quote." The wall is staying, and there will be a fountain there - though it is my understanding that the fountain itself will be redesigned within the constraints of the existing wall design.

[Birdland in Handley]

Take Briefcase Man at face value if you like. I like to take him with a dose of irony. And yes, I'd love to have him in my garden.
The park should adapt to less concrete. Perhaps at this time, xeriscape plantings and the most efficient, recirculating water features would be in order. People could learn what xeriscape stuff works best and get ideas for their yards, and know that some times of year, don't be afraid of seeing plants being dormant and brown.
Also, a mad scientist with a really efficient time machine, to put the Medical Arts Building back.