An 18-acre slab of pavement is about to become a vibrant park with the help of an $8.6 million grant.
The Community Park will be free and open similar hours to Fair Park, daily and year-round. It will feature space for walking and biking, an all-abilities playground, and a "tot lot" for smaller children.
And the park will also have picnic areas, water play features, a dog park, a center stage, and greenspace lawns for both formal and informal events.
The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Interior's National Park Service to the City of Dallas and Fair Park First. It marks the first time the city of Dallas has received any grant from the park service's Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.
Construction of the Community Park — set to begin in fall of next year — is part of the first phase of Fair Park's master plan. Fair Park's master plan was approved in 2020 and designed to put the "park back in Fair Park."
Members of the Dallas City Council, Dallas Park & Recreation, and Fair Park First announced the grant on Thursday in the Lot 10 parking lot, where the park will be developed.
Council Member Adam Bazaldua, whose district includes Fair Park, said the investment would be a "game changer" for the park that will create a vibrant space and attract more investment opportunities to South Dallas.
"Together, we can make this project a cornerstone of growth and unity for our community," he said. "Today we celebrate the community and the residents of South Dallas with this historic gift."
Fair Park opened in 1886 with about 80 acres. Now it's expanded to 277 acres with several of that acreage dedicated to parking on land that used to belong to minority and low-income residents.
Bazaldua noted this history Thursday and said the Community Park was a "full-circle" moment for the city.
"This is much greater than a gift, much greater than a park," he said. "This is us acknowledging our city's history and making our future better."
Veletta Forsythe-Lill, the Fair Park First Board President, said that in its nearly 140-year history, Fair Park has experienced moments of light and darkness — reflecting both progress and setbacks in Dallas.
"This investment in this community allows a dark moment to step into the light," she said.
Fair Park has had few dark moments in recent years.
An independent audit in October found that Fair Park First — the nonprofit that manages the park on behalf of the City of Dallas — had $5.7 million in misallocated restricted donor funds managed by its partner Oak View Group.
The audit was not the first time Fair Park First investigated a mismanagement of funds by Oak View Group, or OVG.
A 2022 audit of the park found OVG360, a division of OVG, and Fair Park First failed to properly monitor revenue from parking, merchandise and food and beverage sales, according to documents obtained by the Dallas Morning News. In response to the audit, former CEO Brian Luallen submitted a letter in July 2023 which said Fair Park First would work with OVG360 to take all necessary steps to improve audit and compliance policies.
Luallen announced his resignation earlier this year, citing an environment that was "very difficult and uncomfortable to navigate."
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