Picture Trammell Crow's vision for an iconic Western sculpture rising over this park in the Convention Center District. This is a heavily visited tourist site, centered on a large sculpture born of a single developer's vision: Trammell Crow wanted an iconic "Western" sculpture for Dallas and assembled a group to donate the sculptures. The land here was once railroad and warehouse property, cleared for a 900-foot (270 m)-tall hotel and office, the Dallas Tower, part of the failed Griffin Square development.
The $9 million project began in 1992 on 4.2 acres donated by the City of Dallas; $4.8 million came from private funds raised by individuals and local businesses. Local artists sued to stop the project, claiming it was historically inaccurate for the city, yet the plaza opened on time in 1994. Adjacent is Pioneer Park Cemetery, which features the Confederate War Memorial, and together with the plaza this is the largest public open space in the Dallas central business district.
Today the park is maintained by the adjacent Dallas Convention Center. Your view stretches next door to Pioneer Park Cemetery and its Confederate War Memorial, the edge of downtown's largest open space.