The Dallas City Council approved a $4.9 million contract to restore the ballpark at Reverchon Park on Wednesday.
The council authorized a resolution with Dallas-based Azteca Enterprises to “provide pre-construction services, architectural and engineering design, and construction services for the Reverchon Ballpark Restoration and Improvements Project at 3505 Maple Avenue.”
Construction improvements include adding new dugouts, batting cages, and bullpens.
The money spent on this restoration will be taken from the Capital Gifts, Donation, and Development Fund and came from a deal the City made last year with Dallas Independent School District.
Reverchon Park will be the home field for North Dallas High School and will be jointly managed by the City and Dallas ISD. The City will be responsible for maintaining the grounds and facilities at an estimated annual cost of $135,000.
“I’m excited for this big hit about Reverchon,” said Councilmember Jesse Moreno after donning a baseball cap for the North Dallas Bulldogs. “This ballpark goes back to the 1920s. [The] historic ballpark is being restored and preserved.”
Moreno represents District 2, where the park is located.
“This has been a long day coming, and it’s an exciting home run for both the North Dallas High School and the residents surrounding the ballpark,” he continued. “Best of all, we [the City] will be retaining control of the park.”
Councilmember Ridley commended his colleague for standing “firmly against the commercialization of this park.”
“You have stood firmly against the loss of control of this park to other entities who tried to buy their way in,” he continued. “You have stood firmly for preservation of a historic sports complex, sports field, in Dallas and have seen to its ultimate restoration to its original condition with original materials.”
In 2018 and 2020, the City Council approved deals to lease the ballpark to private developers, but those deals fell through after private investors failed to gather adequate funds, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
Both of these deals were opposed by Councilmember Moreno.
This new renovation project will be executed in two phases. The first phase will begin in May and run through October, with an emphasis on rebuilding the playing field.
The second phase, planned for October through March 2024, will center on refurbishing the grandstand, which has not been upgraded since the 1940s.