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Rendering of outdoor market at Fair Park’s Community Park Complex.<\/p>\n
Fair Park First<\/p>\n
Fair Park\u2019s long-awaited community park is getting $2.5 million from a North Texas health company to fund long-term programming.<\/p>\n
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\u201cToday is a great day for Fair Park, and for the future of our city because the wins just keep coming for South Dallas,\u201d said Adam Bazaldua, the area\u2019s City Council representative.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, city and nonprofit leaders gathered at City Hall and celebrated the progress for the project, which hasn\u2019t yet broken ground and faced earlier uncertainty<\/a> and delays as the city took over management of the fairgrounds. Now, it appears to be moving forward.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we talk about building stronger communities, we’re talking about more than roads, buildings or infrastructure,\u201d Bazaldua said. \u201cWe’re talking about creating places where families can gather, where children can play, where neighbors can connect and where people have access to opportunities and resources that they need to live healthy, successful lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The city\u2019s Park Board earlier approved naming a component of the project in honor of the McKesson Foundation<\/a> and its largest single investment in Dallas with the $2.5 million grant, which will focus on health and wellness.<\/p>\n South Dallas leaders have urged progress for the roughly 10-acre park planned to replace parking at the fairgrounds near Exposition and South\u00a0Fitzhugh avenues. City Council allowed the project<\/a> to move forward earlier this year.<\/p>\n Related: Fair Park gets green light for community park in South Dallas in Dallas City Council vote<\/a><\/p>\n For months, its future was undecided<\/a> as leaders assessed the nonprofit’s readiness. This came after scrutiny over millions in misspent donor funds. The city cut ties last year<\/a> with Fair Park First and Oak View Group, Fair Park’s venue manager. That left the project in limbo until February, when the City Council approved a new contract<\/a> ahead of deadlines for millions in funding.<\/p>\n Fair Park First has a contract to build the park. The city has not yet decided who will operate the park once it\u2019s open.<\/p>\n The project is part of a decadeslong effort to repair damage after the city razed homes to build the parking lots. The McKesson Foundation is focused on expanding green\u00a0space access and health-centered programming in South Dallas.<\/p>\n Melissa Thompson, the McKesson Foundation president, speaks during a meeting of Fair Park First, which is building the community park at Fair Park. The gathering was to announce a multimillion-dollar grant and was held inside the lobby at Dallas City Hall on June 18, 2026.<\/p>\n Steve Hamm\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n \u201cHealth is shaped by far more than clinical care,\u201d said foundation president Melissa Thompson. \u201cHealth begins where people live, where they gather, and where they connect, and where they have access to resources that support them and their well-being every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Between South Dallas and some areas to the north of Interstate 30, there is a more than\u00a017-year gap in life expectancies<\/a>. In southern Dallas, there are fewer doctors. Grocery stores are farther from reach. For years, officials, health leaders and nonprofits have been working to address these trends<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think holistically about health, including the everyday environments and experiences that shape well-being over time,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cThat’s because access to welcoming spaces, opportunities to be active and resources that support healthy choices can make a real difference.\u201d<\/p>\n At the community park, the McKesson Market Grove will anchor a section dedicated to gatherings and wellness activities, envisioned as a space for health education, fitness, nutrition programming and other community offerings.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n