Park Board approves deal to privatize Fair Park operations
A deal to hand Fair Park over to a private-public partnership that will operate and bring life to the venue is one step closer to reality.
The Park Board on Thursday voted 13-2 to approve the deal with Spectra and Fair Park First. The deal still needs approval from the full city council for it to go into effect.
For decades the only time there’s been any life at Fair Park is for few weeks each year the State Fair of Texas is open. The new 20-year deal promises to change that.
"As it stands now Fair Park is more like an Ivory tower as it stands in the distance, only to be used by the community of South Dallas for 30 days per year,” said former Dallas ISD trustee Bernadette Nutall, who supports the deal.
Fair Park would be operated by Spectra, a Philadelphia-based company that operates similar venues around the nation.
Some current tenants in Fair Park want Spectra to know that they want to be part of what’s next and not be pushed out.
“Extending these agreements to match management agreement would relieve so much anxiety from these organizations,” said Harry Robinson of the African American Museum.
The resolution passed by the Park Board does recommend current tenant contracts be extended 20 years, but it's not legally binding.
“Spectra and Fair Park can do whatever they want,” said board president Bobby Abtahi. “This just says the Park Board’s will is you take care of those folks.”
Abtahi said it’s important to keep the tenants already at Fair Park, even as changes occur.
“We need to make sure State Fair of Texas stays in Fair Park, Texas-OU, African American Museum, Dallas Summer Musicals, anyone there today, want them to stay 100 years because they have been with us through thick and thin,” Abtahi said. “If you don't have them, you don't have Fair Park.”
Spectra's Vice President of Business Development said the company plans to keep all the tenants.
“Our vision is simple for existing tenants -- we are committed to working with them, want to enhance their experiences, driving more attendees to their organizations,” said Peter Zingoni.
The Dallas City Council will be briefed on the plans on Sept. 18.