Plans are moving forward to build a community park at Fair Park in Dallas.
While the Fair Park budget is still short $9.5 million for the project, officials said they plan to raise the necessary funds over the coming year and a half. Estimated costs for the ambitious project have been scaled back 35% to $39 million, down from initial projections of over $60 million.
Fair Park has seen its fair share of controversy in recent years. In July, The Dallas Express reported that Brian Luallen, the CEO of Fair Park First, the non-profit organization overseeing the park’s management and stewardship, resigned amid ongoing questions about using donor funds.
An audit conducted by Dallas-based Malnory, McNeal & Company found that Oak View Group, the company hired to oversee the park’s day-to-day operations, may have misused some of the park’s donated funds, which were restricted to capital improvement projects only. According to the audit report, more than $17 million in private donations may have been used or partly used to cover day-to-day operations.
In October, The Dallas Express reported that security firm K9 Security Detection Services (KSDS) was still waiting for payment from Oak View Group nearly five months after providing security services for a Memorial Day weekend music festival.
“As you guys know we’ve been talking about parks and doing something and revitalizing Fair Park, our city’s jewel, for a long time now, and it’s time to get it right and get this done,” Fair Park First Vice Chair Jason Brown said, per WFAA.
The project was initially supposed to encompass 18 acres of the massive 277-acre National Historic Landmark but has been trimmed back substantially. The latest designs for the park include a community stage, picnic areas, 60 parking spaces, and three playgrounds.
Despite the controversy, the overhaul of the historic park is set to move forward. Construction is slated to begin following next year’s State Fair of Texas, which will run from September 26 to October 19, 2025.
Completion of the project is expected in late 2026.