A year into running Fair Park, city staff trim the repair backlog to $44.3 million and float a 40-acre development

One year after taking day-to-day control of Fair Park, Dallas Park and Recreation staff say they have stabilized the grounds, but the bill for the landmark's aging buildings remains large and the money to pay it is not yet identified.

Staff briefed the council's Parks, Trails and the Environment Committee on Oct. 5, CandysDirt.com reported Sunday. The city took over operations after ending its management agreement with the nonprofit Fair Park First and its subcontractor, Oak View Group.

Repairs so far

The deferred maintenance list shrank from about $48 million to $44.3 million, according to the report. Completed work includes heating and air-conditioning repairs at the Centennial Building and the African American Museum, new fire alarm equipment at Pan American Arena and replacement of roughly 13,000 square feet of failing concrete outside the Music Hall.

Staff also set preventive maintenance schedules, upgraded security monitoring and started on irrigation problems, with a goal of eventually cutting water use by 30%.

"We spent a lot of this past fiscal year just stabilizing, stabilizing facilities, stabilizing operations," Fair Park General Manager Brett Wulke told the committee.

Wulke said event income alone cannot pay for operations and the remaining repairs, so finding new revenue is a priority for the 2026-27 fiscal year, along with renegotiating vendor contracts on better terms for the city.

Council member Adam Bazaldua, whose District 7 includes Fair Park, said the park has historically come up short in bond programs and urged staff to set out a plan now, whether the need turns out to be $25 million or $50 million.

The Cotton Bowl and what comes next

The first phase of a $140 million Cotton Bowl renovation was finished last year, but the stadium's east side has not been addressed and there is no funding plan for that second phase.

Under the city's deal with the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma, which keeps their rivalry game in Dallas through 2036, the city must line up a plan and funding by September 2030 and finish construction by September 2034, or the schools can jointly end the agreement.

Staff are also preparing to seek development ideas for about 40 acres inside Fair Park, with possibilities including an entertainment venue, restaurants, shops, lodging and parking garages. No partner or plan has been chosen. Bazaldua asked that South Dallas and Fair Park residents be part of that process.

Other items in the briefing:

• Foodieland drew more than 46,000 visitors and the new Fair Park Farmers Market about 14,355, according to staff.
• The 10.5-acre Community Park, with Fair Park First as developer, has received more public money to close its construction budget gap.
• Oak View Group has sued the city, seeking more than $20 million and claiming the city underfunded park management, misstated the condition of the buildings and wrongly ended the arrangement. The city has accused the company of misusing donations.
• A more detailed presentation on the next round of Brimer Bill money, which funds Fair Park and convention center improvements, is in the works. The Music Hall, Automobile Building and Centennial Building are among the top priorities, with scopes and amounts still to be set.

Sources

candysdirt.com