Located on 277 acres just east of Downtown Dallas, Fair Park is one of our city’s largest attractions, welcoming more than 6 million guests each year to historic sites like the State Fair of Texas and Cotton Bowl Stadium, among others. Fair Park features the largest collection of Art Deco-style buildings in the world and the largest public collection of Art Deco sculptures, murals, and paintings in the United States.
It is also in need of major renovations.
On Wednesday, May 23, Leadership Alumni hosted a tour of Fair Park and a meeting with the nonprofit Fair Park First to learn about the master plan to redevelop and modernize the 57-building campus, which received National Landmark designation during its 1986 centennial.
“To be a historic site, you have to acknowledge the history,” Fair Park First CEO Brian Luallen told the group.
During Phase One of the master plan process, the 18-acre Community Park will be completed and feature amenities like WiFi, green belts with fountains, splash parks, and performance areas. It will also be accessible to Fair Park’s 13 surrounding neighborhoods.
Five other parks and more than two additional miles of trail space that will connect Fair Park to the Santa Fe Trail are also being planned at the grounds.
Phase One also includes approximately $300 million approved during the 2022 election as part of Proposition A to conserve and repair artwork, restore historic buildings, and improve facilities.
Considered the largest investment to revitalize Fair Park in its history, the public funding will be used to renovate the Automobile Building, Centennial Hall, Fair Park Band Shell, Music Hall at Fair Park, Fair Park Coliseum, and Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Fair Park First officials said these upgrades, in addition to a forthcoming boutique hotel and visitation center, would make the campus a destination of choice for larger events and attract additional tenants. The master plan is expected to be completed by 2036.
“The main thing I enjoyed was hearing about all the work that has been going on behind the scenes since the bond package passed,” said Richard Devero of Schmidt & Stacy, a Leadership Alumni member from the Associate Leadership Council (ALC) Class of 2021. “I’m excited to see how close we are to some real positive development for an area that has been mostly left behind by the city.”
As part of the master plan process, Fair Park First hosted more than 225 community input sessions with 24 surrounding and nearby neighborhoods and 750 community conversations with organizations throughout Dallas, including The Real Estate Council.
“The [Fair Park First] team clearly took the time to listen to the goals from the surrounding neighborhoods, especially around the new greenspace, to come up with a plan that would deliver longstanding promises,” said Arthur Santa-Maria of Hoque Global, a member of the ALC Class of 2016 and this year’s Leadership Alumni Committee Chair. “It’s great to know the community had a seat at the table throughout the process.”
*map and renderings courtesy of Fair Park First
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