The Trinity Trust and the city of Dallas Announce a $10 million gift for the Trinity project

DALLAS, Texas, On September 24, 2009 – At a press conference on September 24, The Trinity Trust Foundation and the City of Dallas have announced a $10 million gift for The Trinity project and will ce-lebrate this landmark gift at its bridge fair party, “Bridging the Trinity,” on September 25. The event will featured the Santiago Calatrava-designed signature bridge, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, which is under construction in the heart of Dallas.

“This landmark $10 million anonymous gift given to the City of Dallas gives us the funds to convert the Continental Bridge into a pedestrian and living bridge for everyone in Dallas to enjoy,” said City of Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. Once the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is completed and opened, then the work will begin on the Continental Bridge. The anonymous and generous donor gave the gift in honor of Mary McDermott Cook, chair of The Trinity Trust Foundation, to honor her tireless vision for Dallas.

Mary McDermott Cook said, “We are excited about this significant gift of $10 million, which will transform the Continental Bridge into an outdoor venue for walkers, bikers, and potentially, a future trolley line across the Trinity River. It will be beautifully landscaped and include the infrastructure and facilities for recreational events, markets and fairs. Actually, this will be known as Dallas’ new event destination or Party Bridge!”

Dr. Gail Thomas, president of The Trinity Trust, said, “We are enormously grateful for this gift and for the generosity of those who believe in The Trinity project and the mark it will have for generations to come. We are trying to create a 21st century city with a living bridge for the people, and we are thankful to our generous donor who believes in what we’re doing.”

As part of the commemoration of this gift, The Trinity Trust is sponsoring the “Bridging the Trinity” event, which coincidentally was held on the Continental Bridge on Friday, September 25, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. The evening featured street artists, delectable delights, musical entertainment and surprise treats. Entertainment included DJ Lucy Wrubel and the band Boys Named Sue.

Santiago Calatrava, an internationally acclaimed award-winning architect, artist and engineer, was an honored guest. Joining him Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and the National Honorary Chairs U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Honorary Event Chairs were Mary McDermott Cook, Lyda Hill, Al Hill Jr. and Alinda Hill Wikert. Lynn McBee the Event Chair, and Christy Berry was the Host Committee Chair. Williams Brothers Construction were the Presenting Sponsor.

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is the first vehicular bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava in the United States. This world-class bridge is being constructed to seamlessly connect Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas across the Trinity River to Woodall Rodgers (Spur 366) in downtown Dallas. This bridge’s central arch will reach 400 feet high upon completion. Pieces of the white arch, which arrived in late July, and other steel bridge components could begin being hoisted into place by the end of the year. Other elements include a 1,200-foot long span with miles of cable holding the bridge span in place.

A $2.5 billion public works project, The Trinity project is one of the largest urban developments in the nation stretching 20 miles through Dallas and encompassing 10,000 acres. It is first and foremost a flood protection project. Recreational plans for The Trinity project include a meandering river, downtown lakes, an island, wetlands, hike and bike trails, riding paths, and nature walks through the Great Trinity Forest. Opened in 2008, the Trinity River Audubon Center has already welcomed 37,000 visitors to this Texas Flagship center.

Special thanks to the following sponsors: Presenting Sponsor: Williams Construction Company; American Contractors Insurance Group/Shirley and Bill McIntyre; ALON USA; CH2M Hill/WRT/URS Design Team; The Eugene McDermott Foundation; Haynes and Boone, LLP; Texas Energy Holdings, Inc. Also, Andrews Distributing Company, Briggs Freeman, Eddie Deen and Company Catering, Glazer’s, 360 Eco Friendly Vodka. Media sponsors are D Magazine, D CEO, People Newspapers and socialwhirl.com.

For more information and to purchase tickets to “Bridging the Trinity,” go to www.bridgingthetrinity.com. Tickets begin at $150 each, and underwriting opportunities are available. For more information, contact The Trinity Trust at 214.740.1616.

About The Trinity Trust Foundation and The Trinity Center:

The Trinity Trust raises private funds and public awareness to implement the Balanced Vision Plan for The Trinity project in conjunction with the City of Dallas. The Trinity Trust has established The Trinity Center as the gathering place for all civic and non-profit groups working to revitalize the Trinity River in Dallas. It houses the offices of The Trinity Trust Foundation, Texas Horse Park, Groundwork Dallas and Trinity Strand Trail; and hosts meetings, workshops and events for these organizations and the Trinity Commons Foundation. The Trinity Center facilitates collaboration between these entities and the City of Dallas and encourages seamless integration of all the components of The Trinity project. More information can be found by calling 214.740.1616, by emailing info@thetrinitytrust.org, or by visiting www.thetrinitytrust.org.