Heritage Park wins Best Public Improvement award

Irving—The city of Irving’s Heritage Park won the 2023 Texas Downtown (TXDT) Association President’s Award in the category of Best Public Improvement for a city with a population of over 50,000 people.

Winners of the 2023 President’s Awards Program were announced on Oct. 25 in Nacogdoches in conjunction with the Texas Downtown Annual Conference. For over 35 years the awards program, sponsored by Texas Downtown (TXDT), has recognized outstanding projects, places, and people of Texas downtowns.

In 2021, the Irving completed the Heritage Park renovation project that turned a 1-acre lot into a 2-acre open space in the heart of downtown Irving. Improvements include new lighting, walking paths, restored historical buildings and a state-of-the-art entertainment stage with an enormous 15x20-foot LED screen.

“This project was about more than transforming a park; it was about creating a vibrant, multifaceted space in the center of a historic and evolving district,” Mayor Rick Stopfer said. “This award underscores our commitment to preserving our past while embracing our future.”

Texas Downtown was established in 1985 to connect and serve communities that are committed to downtown vitality. Texas Downtown represents cities of all sizes, economic development organizations, nonprofits including chambers of commerce and merchant groups, and small business owners.