By Julian M. Bowman
The Dallas City Council unanimously approved the 2020 Fair Park Master Plan Update, which outlines the vision and future planned development for Fair Park. The announcement comes on the heels of the Dallas Park and Recreation Board approval this past summer. The Master Plan Update was presented by Fair Park First, Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, and Spectra—the team tasked with Fair Park’s management, operations, and development.
“We’re proud of all the work that our collective team has put into this plan in less than 18 months,” said Darren L. 
James, President of the Fair Park First Board. “Today’s approval puts us one step closer to putting the park back into Fair Park for the citizens of Dallas and sets up a living framework for impactful Park improvements over the next couple of decades.”
“We are excited that the City Council was so supportive of this project, and sees the value in restoring and revitalizing Fair Park,” said Brian Luallen, Executive Director of Fair Park First. “This transformative project represents a new path forward for the historic property. With the Council’s overwhelming support, we’re now focused on securing corporate partners, individual donors, and sponsors to make this vision of a greener Fair Park a reality.”
The recommendations in the Master Plan Update reflect the needs and interests of the resident institutions at Fair Park, the surrounding neighborhoods, and park users from the DFW Metroplex, which were gathered through dozens of meetings with the surrounding communities, user groups, and various stakeholders.
“The 2020 Master Plan Update is a guide for reestablishing Fair Park as Dallas’s premier park, a year-round destination for the best of Dallas history, culture, entertainment, and recreation, and a welcoming place of opportunity for neighboring communities,” said Dan Biederman, President of Biederman Redevelopment Ventures.
The approval precedes an upcoming announcement of the park designer for the new Community Park within Fair Park’s 277-acre campus, which is one of the Master Plan Update’s first priorities. The planned Community Park design will include a large lawn, a children’s play area with an interactive water feature, naturalized plantings, remembrance gardens, a pavilion for gatherings, and movable tables and chairs. The Community Park will also provide free programming for children, adults, and seniors. A typical calendar of events during a week might include fitness classes, musical performances, art workshops, drum circles, a reading room, and outdoor movies.
“The City Council’s support and confidence in our vision show that we are on the right track to revitalizing and renewing this National Historic Landmark,” said Spectra’s Peter Sullivan, General Manager of Fair Park. “The proposed greenspaces will be a welcome addition to showcase Fair Park in our mission to activate the entire park year-round.”
Find out more information on the planned revitalization of Fair Park by visiting www.fairparkfirst.org.
Julian M. Bowman is Senior Director of Marketing Fair Park, a Spectra Venue Management facility.
Photo by City of Dallas.
