Fair Park faces major overhaul as city terminates contract with Fair Park First

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What would it take for Fair Park to finally become a true asset to its surrounding South Dallas neighbors?

This is a very different question than: What would it take to restore Fair Park’s circa 1936 art deco buildings? Or: What would it take for Fair Park to become a “world-class” park and year-round Dallas tourism attraction?

Or even: What would it take for Fair Park to be “activating every single weekend with local bands, local vendors and food trucks“?

That’s what City of Dallas Park Director John Jenkins promised now that the City will resume operations of the 277-acre property. Last week, Jenkins terminated what he called the “flawed” contract between the City and nonprofit Fair Park First, which also ends the agreement with Oak View Group, the for-profit subcontractor the nonprofit oversees. They both have 90 days to vacate the property.

Jenkins’ decision came after last year’s revelations that Oak View Group misspent millions in donor-restricted funds raised by Fair Park First, followed by budget shortfall reports in the millions, and leadership departures at Fair Park First the staff and board levels.

So what happens now? 

We’ve reached out to Fair Park First board members and staff with questions, but they aren’t talking — until tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., when a press conference at Lot 10, the future home of the long-lauded community park, will announce “a major milestone for our community—one that will bring more green space, recreation, and connection to residents across South Dallas and beyond,” says an email from Evelyn Amaya, Fair Park First’s director of community engagement and longtime resident of the adjacent Jubilee neighborhood. 

“Your presence helps reinforce the importance of this project and the community it’s meant to serve,” Amaya’s email to neighbors continues.

In a KERA story, Fair Park First board chair Veletta Forsythe-Lill says they will use the 90 days to “execute a memorandum of understanding” with the City, and that it’s not the end of the nonprofit. Meanwhile, however, Park Board President Arun Agarwal says it’s a “total reset” and that the City would create a new nonprofit to take care of the community park and deal with donors and partners.

At stake is at least $30 million in pledged funds and the one feature of Fair Park that is intended specifically for the park’s surrounding South Dallas community.

What South Dallas said.

A collection of South Dallas quotes culled from other content.

“We’re the ones getting the short end of things time after time after time. I don’t want to be negative, but you know we’ve been here before. We’ve [had] all these promises, all these things and every time, it doesn’t fall out. … We should be involved in some kind of way.”

—Hank Lawson, longtime Park Row/South Boulevard resident and founder of the Pointe South Revitalization Committee. WFAA Channel 8

This content originally came from a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed to subscribers. To subscribe to our free newsletters, sign up here.