A neighborhood park planned for the grounds of Richardson ISD's Dobie Pre-K campus in North Dallas would be built and eventually maintained by the nonprofit corporation that runs the Esperanza Community Center there, under a revised agreement on the school board's agenda Thursday.
The item is on the consent agenda for the board's regular meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 19. Consent items are usually approved together in a single vote unless a trustee asks to discuss one separately.
What changes
Richardson ISD and the City of Dallas first agreed to open outdoor space at the campus, 14040 Rolling Hills Lane, for public recreation. The Dallas City Council authorized that deal in October 2024 and trustees approved it in January 2025, according to the district's memo. The city's 2024 item described a 20-year agreement with city spending capped at $285,200.
The amendment adds Esperanza Community Center at Dobie Local Government Corporation as a party and assigns the city's ongoing duties to it. Under the revised terms described in the memo:
- Dallas makes a one-time contribution of equipment, such as playground structures, a pavilion, bleachers or soccer goals, worth up to $400,000, subject to annual appropriations, and handles mowing and trimming for the first year.
- Esperanza designs, builds and installs the amenities, which may include a soccer field, pavilion, trail access improvements and furnishings, then takes over mowing and all upkeep after the city's first year. It must keep the area open during hours similar to other district outdoor facilities.
- The district keeps maintaining the rest of the campus, gives the city and Esperanza access for their work, and allows public use of the recreational area and the campus parking lot on a first-come, first-served basis during open hours.
The superintendent recommends approval.
The Dallas council approved its side of an amended agreement in June. That version, according to city records, added Dallas County as a third party with the city's duties passing to the county after a year, and paid for the $400,000 in equipment from the city's ARPA Redevelopment Fund. The district's document names the Esperanza corporation as the party taking on those duties.