DALLAS – Dallas is going back to the drawing board for the future of Fair Park. But a presentation by city staff on plans to activate the space drew criticism from some city council members.
Fair Park’s Future 
What they’re saying:
The leaders of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department believe the Cotton Bowl is the key to Fair Park’s future.
In a presentation on Monday, Director John Jenkins compared the 95-year-old venue with 92,000 seats to Southern California’s Rose Bowl. They are nearly the same age and have the same capacity, but the Rose Bowl hosts 250 events year-round.
Jenkins also shared an outside-of-the-box idea for incorporating big box retail into Fair Park. In Mexico City, there is a Costco store underneath a soccer field.
The other side:
It was what was not in the presentation that drew criticism from some city council members.
The nonprofit organization Fair Park First raised $30 million of the $39 million needed to build a long-promised community park near the Dos Equis Pavilion. But Monday’s presentation made no mention of the park or a timeline for breaking ground.
“For us to have a briefing that does not emphasize how we will keep promises for South Dallas that we have continued to break for decades is a huge misstep,” said Councilman Adam Bazaldua.
Jenkins assured that the city is still committed to building the community park and turning Fair Park into an economic engine for the region.
City of Dallas ends agreement with Fair Park management company
The City of Dallas announced on Wednesday that it will end its agreement with Fair Park First, the nonprofit that manages Fair Park. A 2024 audit alleged Fair Park First’s for-profit umbrella company, OVG360, misspent $5.7 million in restricted donor funds.
What’s next:
The agenda for Monday’s meeting limited the scope of the discussion, which prevented the city council from deciding if Fair Park First should remain in charge of fundraising for the community park, or if the city should put a new nonprofit in charge.
The parks department expects to have a much more detailed plan for the city council early next year.
The Source: FOX 4’s Lori Brown gathered information for this story at Monday’s Dallas Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee meeting.