Now that the master plan for South Dallas’ Fair Park has been approved, the nonprofit managing the historic landmark and its design partners are hosting a series of public brainstorming sessions.
The meetings are open invitations for residents to share their ideas about possibilities for the Community Park, which will feature about 11 acres of green space and roughly 3 acres of parking beside Dos Equis Pavilion. Currently, the area is a sprawling parking lot framed by Fitzhugh and Pennsylvania Avenues.
The second round of these workshops kicked off virtually on Tuesday with representatives from management nonprofit Fair Park First, and Studio MLA and Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, two companies responsible for the design and architecture of the planned park.
The Park and Recreation Board and the City Council last year approved the 20-year master plan to restore the 277-acre area. Early renderings also include an MLK Gateway Park and a parking structure to reduce surface lots.
Fair Park First announced a new fundraising campaign in March, and the goal is to secure $85 million by 2024, when the Community Park will open at the historic site.
About two dozen community members listened Tuesday as the groups presented options for elements of the Community Park, which ranged from play structures to multi-use lawns and dog parks.
Attendees participated in polls about what they’d most like to see. Swings, rock-climbing walls and splash pads were examples of interactive structures that could be incorporated into the design of the new park.
After the presentation, participants also shared their ideas with the designers.
Jason Harper, who lives about a mile from Fair Park in East Dallas, urged the team to consider the King Racing Group, which has hosted weekly bike races through the park for 10 years, in the design.
“The race could be a really exciting backdrop for people using the park on those evenings during the week,” said Harper, who is on the executive board of Preservation Dallas.
Harper also said he hopes some of the art deco style that’s present throughout Fair Park would be included in the redesigned space.
Deah Berry Mitchell, who works at Dallas Historical Society, suggested a statue of civil rights activist Juanita Craft. Several other attendees supported the idea.
Mitchell said she often spends her lunch breaks walking through the park and finds it disheartening to see it absent of a memorial to the former council member who was instrumental in integrating the State Fair of Texas.
“It’s very important for us to create a foundation where we do not ignore what has happened,” said Anton Smith, project manager at Studio MLA, adding that there would be opportunities for historic displays.
Decades ago, about 300 properties stood on the site in the predominantly Black neighborhood before the city took over the homes and businesses through eminent domain, bulldozed them and paved them over.
Other ideas included game tables, farmer’s markets, and naming sections of the park after historic South Dallas neighborhoods.
Fair Park First will host an in-person community meeting at Fair Park on June 1, and there will be “community pop-up” events scheduled through October, including a Juneteenth celebration.
The next meeting is scheduled for April 29 for Spanish-speaking residents. People can register and see upcoming events at fairparkfirst.org/communitypark.
