City / Coming Soon / Development / News
Nov 2, 2023
Vote for Arlington in the PetSafe Unleashed Dog Park Contest!
Full speed ahead! The Downtown Arlington Doggie Depot is on its way, but we need your help! To guarantee our new off-leash dog area fulfills its potential as a doggie destination, we are working with a variety of national partners to raise adequate funds and receive expert consultation.
Recently, Downtown Arlington applied for the $50,000 PetSafe Unleashed “Bark for Your Park” grant from PetSafe, a leading national pet care brand bringing quality products, experiences, training, and more to millions of families across the country. Out of the hundreds of applicants from all over the United States, Arlington was selected as one of two Texas cities in the Top 25 Finalists! This is where you step in.
The final step in the grant process is to gain community support through voting on their website. The community with the most votes will win the grand prize and be announced on December 5th. Click the button below to place your votes today! Voters can VOTE EVERY DAY, ONCE A DAY from now until Novembers 30th. Bookmark the page, vote every day, share with your friends and families, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for daily reminders to vote. Share and like each post to help us bring this outdoor space to life! Click below to vote!
Our Story
Doggie Depot will be located along the southeast side of the train tracks by the Municipal Office Tower on Mesquite Street – the area informally referred to as the railroad corridor. Originally built to bring economic prosperity to Arlington, the railroad lines unintentionally created a parting line that has divided the city and our Downtown commercial district. In the late 20th century, when urban sprawl took away most of Downtown Arlington’s economic vibrancy, these strips of land became insignificant, and the once-bustling railroad corridor eventually lost its human connection.
Today, with over $100 million in investments underway and with UTA’s student population doubling in the past year, Downtown Arlington has experienced nothing short of an economic renaissance. It’s an exciting time to be downtown and the Doggie Depot is coming just in time to build on that upward momentum. The development of an off-leash dog area in this space would transform public perception from a burden on transportation to a community-driven public space, operating as a great amenity for downtown residents, visitors, students, and dog population.
Our Goal
Downtown Arlington’s Doggie Depot will include fencing, ADA access, running water, lighting, dog waste stations, dog-friendly infrastructure, and play areas for both small and large dogs. Additionally, Downtown Arlington, in partnership with neighboring organizations and businesses in Arlington, will host several events and programming on site as well as implement community-driven initiatives that encourage participation and connection.
After being awarded a competitive grant of $75,000 from Project for Public Spaces and General Motors to supplement the construction of a new off-leash dog area in Downtown Arlington, we placed idea boards around the city and asked people what they would like to see at the new park. These boards engaged over 1,000 people with common answers including a gathering space, shaded seating, and various dog-centric events.
Your Mission
Today, we are pleased to announce that Downtown Arlington is a finalist in the PetSafe Unleashed “Bark for Your Park” contest! PetSafe has supported more than 80 dog parks across the United States, totaling over $1.65 million in contributions, and we could be next!
Earlier this year in August, we applied to the $50,000 PetSafe Unleashed grant contest to help fund our incoming off-leash dog area, the Doggie Depot. Now, it’s your turn! Help us win this grant by setting a calendar reminder, voting every day, and sharing the link with all your friends and families. Voters can vote once a day, every day. Click the link below to vote; we’re at the top of the list and voting only takes 10 seconds. No sign up required. No pesky emails every day. It’s that simple!
Doggie Depot is truly a passion project for the entire Downtown Arlington community. We’re all playing our part to bring this communal gathering place to life and we’re proud to be a frontrunner in this national competition. So Arlington, let’s show them how we unite to get things done right here in the Dream City!