The Thanksgiving Foundation presented a multi‑million dollar plan on Feb. 18 to expand Thanksgiving Square into a Thanksgiving District in downtown Dallas and asked the Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee for city coordination and public support.

The project team described new public‑facing elements — including a large shade structure (stoa), pop‑up vendor spaces, ramps to make the chapel ADA‑compliant and a new restaurant/event building — and said fundraising would cover construction and endowment costs estimated in the low tens of millions. “My ask of you is to understand what we’re trying to accomplish here and to get behind us and help us make this a reality for the city of Dallas,” said Mr. Ogden, presenting the plan and identified later in the meeting as the project lead.

The committee was told the vision is intended to preserve the Square’s original mission while increasing accessibility and downtown activation. The presentation described Thanksgiving Square’s history, noting it was founded in the 1960s and opened in 1977 with work by Philip Johnson, and said the site attracts roughly 205,000 visits per year based on third‑party foot‑traffic data.

Why it matters: foundation leaders said the expansion would create a more walkable downtown, increase hotel and property tax revenue, and provide new cultural programming while preserving the Square’s nonsectarian mission. Committee members pressed the presenters on fundraising, maintenance, and how the effort would fit within existing downtown planning.

Funding and engineering support: the presenters said the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) approved $10,000,000 of project funding, contingent on a 2‑for‑1 match from philanthropy and other sources, and that NCTCOG advanced $500,000 to begin preliminary engineering. “The $10,000,000 is primarily for infrastructure improvements … contingent upon the Thanksgiving Square raising the 20,000,000,” said Gus Kincarley, transportation and public works director, clarifying the regional funding is for roadway, signal and pedestrian infrastructure tied to the project.

Project cost and fundraising: foundation representatives said hard construction costs are currently estimated in the “$22.25 million to $25 million” range and that a working total for a fully endowed project has been near $30 million but could be higher depending on endowment and scope choices. The foundation said it has retained a fundraising consultant and is forming a campaign planning committee; several committee members stressed the need to define maintenance/operations commitments and to avoid asking the city to bear long‑term upkeep without clear terms. The presenters stated there is no current intention to ask the city to assume ongoing maintenance costs for the property.

Questions from committee members focused on: whether the foundation’s fundraising and board commitments are sufficient, how the proposal aligns with the city’s downtown parks master plan, how ADA upgrades would be handled (the square was built before ADA standards), and whether the project risks changing the Square’s contemplative mission. “We want to be very distinctive. We want to be a place of welcoming and belonging and contemplation,” Ogden said in response to concerns about mission drift.

Next steps: presenters said they are coordinating with city staff, downtown planning groups and philanthropic partners and will continue fundraising and engineering work. City staff indicated the transportation department expects to hire an outside consultant to scope infrastructure improvements. The presentation did not include a formal request for a city funding vote; the foundation asked for increased city visibility and coordination as it develops the campaign.

Ending: Committee members expressed cautious support while asking for clearer budgets, maintenance plans and formal alignment with the downtown master plan as the foundation moves from concept and engineering toward fundraising.