The City of Dallas is back in the driver’s seat at Fair Park after seven years under private management.
Today, the director of the Dallas Park department called those years “lost.”
The New Vision: Year-Round Activation
What we know:
The Dallas Parks director, John Jenkins, wants to activate Fair Park with hotels, restaurants, and retailers, and he said they are also working to attract certain sports opportunities.
While Fair Park is bustling this week with the State Fair of Texas, the rest of the year it remains empty real estate. That’s despite promises made seven years ago by the private management group Spectra, which later became Oak View Group.
Now the Dallas Parks Department is back in charge.
“We have been waiting too long for consistent activities at Fair Park,” said Jenkins.
“Only one objective, activate Fair Park year round, and we feel like we lost 7 years.”
Cotton Bowl’s $3 Million vs. Rose Bowl’s $54 Million
What they’re saying:
Jenkins also compares the Cotton Bowl to another iconic venue: The Rose Bowl.
“The Rose Bowl, I like to call it the twin of the Cotton Bowl,” he said.
“They’re both almost 100 years old. They both seat 92,000 folks. The difference is, they bring in 54 million a year in revenue.”
Jenkins says, by comparison, the Cotton Bowl brings in a fraction of that, 3 million a year at best.
“They are bringing in hundreds of events each year. They have figured out a model we should adopt,” he said.
A Push to Move Locations
Local perspective:
Park board member Scott Goldstein suggested now could be the time to reconsider the location of the long-planned park inside Fair Park, which would go near Dos Equis Pavilion.
“Threw out the idea of moving the park to a more logical place, like originally talked about years ago, closer to the music hall and African American museum,” said Goldstein.
It’s an idea supported by park board member Earnest Slaughter.
“I grew up over there, we are still in the back of the bus. If it were moved over by the African Museum and Music Hall, that way the community would have access,” said Slaughter.
“Entrance and exit over there, it is like an expressway.”
The other side:
Jenkins indicated the current proposed location could compliment development.
“Let’s just say we’re trying to attract certain sports opportunities at Fair Park. It may make sense to have the park with retail and sports in the same area,” said Jenkins.
Groundbreaking Still Set for August 2026
What’s next:
Fair Park has 60 acres of possible land. Jenkins pledged the park was still on schedule.
Groundbreaking for the park is set for just 10 months from now, in August 2026.