A bill to help secure funding for restoring Dallas’ Fair Park is currently on the governor’s desk and may soon be signed into law.
Authored by Texas State Sen. Royce West, Senate Bill 2181 is a sports and community revenue project bill to secure $85 million in funding for the renovation of Fair Park in South Dallas, according to Spectrum News 1.
“SB 2181 helps provide a path for funding and renovation of Fair Park,” West wrote in an April 29 Facebook post. “The City of Dallas and voters would have to approve the measure, but it is a step toward renovating and restoring Fair Park to its former glory.”
The legislation’s five sponsors are from the Dallas area including State Rep. Angie Chen Button (R-Garland), who took to Twitter to express her support for the bill.
“I’m happy to say that SB 2181 passed the House. This bill will help improve Fair Park,” Button wrote in a May 26 Twitter post.
The Dallas Express previously reported that the bill would help upgrade the site of the State Fair of Texas over the next five years and that Former U.S. President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush are honorary chairs of the Fair Park First project.
On June 7, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced on Facebook that the project had received a $2 million gift from the Hoblitzelle Foundation.
“We are incredibly grateful for the Hoblitzelle Foundation’s generous gift, which will help us add vitality to Fair Park,” Mayor Johnson said. “The new community park will serve as a first-rate gathering place for the people of South Dallas, and it will become the cornerstone of a new era for Fair Park — a true gem of our city.”
The renovation project includes adding more green spaces, a biking and walking trail, a children’s area and a pavilion to host outdoor activities, according to Spectrum News 1.
According to the legislation, the bill will not be funded by residents’ taxes.
