Dallas leaders hope to fund Fair Park repairs with development revenue
DALLAS - It’s now been more than six months since the city of Dallas took over operations at Fair Park from a company that was accused of misusing funds.
The deferred maintenance at the park now totals $55 million. But leaders believe the costs can be funded through money generated by events and the development they hope to bring to the area.
Fair Park Maintenance
"This hasn’t been an easy road, but guess what? It is going to be something all of us are going to look back at two years from today and say it was well worth it," said John Jenkins, the director of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department.
The bumpy road is not over just yet. Fair Park still needs an estimated $55 million in HVAC, plumbing, and roof repairs.
Company hired to manage Fair Park left it in disrepair, Dallas leaders say
Fair Park is in much worse condition now than it was before the city turned over management to the for-profit company, Oak View Group.
But Jenkins maintains those projects can be funded without straining the city’s strapped budget through development.
"When we talk about development, we are talking about those empty parking lots, roughly about 50 acres that’s on the northeast side of the campus within the gates. The development would take place there. All the art deco, all the preservation is going to stay in place. We’re going to use that funding to make sure to preserve Fair Park’s historical aspects," he said.
Fair Park Development
Brooklyn Bridge Park is the city’s inspiration for future Fair Park development. Its operations are supported through a mix of revenue streams, including concessions, parking, events, and the development of land within the park site.
Any hotels or restaurants that are built would be required to build parking garages to replace the lost parking.
"Success looks like in a year from today, hopefully, if the community supports it and the council and board supports it, hopefully, in a year from today we can have a groundbreaking," Jenkins said.
The city has an agreement with Visit Dallas to help activate Fair Park’s venues year-round, with everything from community events to those that draw crowds.
"It looks like more high school sports. It looks like more games in the Cotton Bowl. It looks like a year-round operation. And it looks like spreading to the outside of the park. I’m talking about as far as opportunities for the small businesses in the community to thrive with better sidewalks, additional patrols, better traffic flow. That is what success looks like to me in this two to three year range," Jenkins said.
The city also wants DART to utilize the MLK Station for a transit-oriented development.
Community Park
As for the long-awaited community park, Fair Park First has until Aug. 25 to raise the remaining $7 million before breaking ground on it.
Dallas leaders approve development plans for Fair Park community park
The Dallas City Council approved a development agreement for a 10.5-acre community park at Fair Park, with construction expected to begin late this summer.
The Source: FOX 4's Lori Brown gathered information for this story from the Dallas Parks Committee meeting.