First-ever grant gives $8.6M to new park

By Becky Mayad

The City of Dallas, Dallas Park and Recreation Department, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife, in partnership with Fair Park First, recently announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service is making an $8.6 million grant to help fund Fair Park’s Community Park. 

“Texas is known for its natural beauty — but for Black and Brown communities like the ones I represent in the South Dallas area, too much of that natural beauty has been paved over, polluted and made inaccessible,” said Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. “We know that having parks nearby to our homes, schools and workplaces has a huge impact on our health and wellbeing — but green spaces in urban areas also help lower temperatures and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is key to mitigating Dallas’ extreme summer heat. I am so grateful to the Biden Administration for investing $8,663,000 for a new Community Park in Dallas. I cannot wait to bring my constituents there for our Kids’ N Kites festival once it is built!”

The $8.6 million grant has been awarded to the City of Dallas on behalf of Fair Park First and the Community Park and will be distributed through the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP).

“Parks are one of Dallas’ most important assets,” Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson said. “And I am incredibly grateful to the National Park Service for this transformative grant to the Community Park. Investing in Fair Park and adding new green space is critical to breathing new life into South Dallas.”

This marks the first time the City of Dallas’ Park and Recreation Department has received any kind of grant from the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP). The $8.6 million grant is part of a $254 million investment — the single largest grant investment ever made to the ORLP — being awarded to 54 projects in 24 states for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks. Dallas-based Rise360 assisted in acquiring the grant.

“The Community Park is the centerpiece of our commitment to our neighbors,” Veletta Forsythe-Lill, board chair of Fair Park First, shared. “The Community Park team is currently finalizing the design development phase, and we’re projected to break ground fall of 2025 focused on delivering on a multi-decade promise to the surrounding communities. This gift will help us continue to deliver this promise.”

The Community Park, which is to be completed during Phase I of the Fair Park First master plan for historic Fair Park, will feature interconnected parklets of greenspace and landscaping with trails across the Fair Park campus. The Community Park is designed to serve the public as a year-round gathering space for walking and biking, an all-abilities and all-age playground for children, a tot lot for smaller children, a dog park, picnic areas, water play, a center stage, and greenspace lawns for both formal and informal activities. 

“This is a significant investment in Fair Park and in our park system, and it supports our city’s commitment to providing equitable access to green spaces for residents and visitors. We are now able to transform a parking lot into a thriving area that will be a valuable outdoor asset to residents,” said John D. Jenkins, director, Dallas Park and Recreation Department. “Our department’s number one goal is to create safe, vibrant and welcoming spaces that create community connections, encourage personal health and wellness, and showcase the uniqueness of Fair Park as a top tourist destination.”

The Community Park will serve as a doorway into Fair Park for the surrounding communities, while attracting citizens from around the North Texas regions. The Community Park will serve as a welcoming oasis for a host of programmed events and activities for the community. 

“This first-ever gift from the National Park Service to the City of Dallas in partnership with Fair Park First is momentous and signifies the magnitude and importance of the Community Park,” said Arun Agarwal, president of the Dallas Park Board. 

“We are enormously honored to be one of just 54 projects across the country to be awarded.” 

After extensive public engagement with campus users and surrounding community, civic and neighborhood leaders, the park’s preferred location is Parking Lot 10, located south of Lagow St. and north of Exposition Ave. between Pennsylvania and Fitzhugh Avenues. The location is in close proximity to Jubilee Park, Owenwood, Dolphin Heights, Mill City, Frazier, Bertrand, RUFCO and Wheatley Place neighborhoods.

“What a significant moment for parks in Dallas and the Community Park at Fair Park. This grant demonstrates the power of partnerships and collaboration,” said Alyssa Arnold, acting chief executive officer for Fair Park First. “We thank the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, the Park Board and the entire team helping to continue on delivering the promise of the Community Park.”

The ORLP program, established in 2014, is a nationally competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant program that aids disadvantaged, urban communities that lack access to close-by outdoor recreation. The program provides grants for community sponsored park projects where population is greater than 30,000 residents. Managed by the NPS and funded through the LWCF, the program provides matching grants up to 50 percent of total project costs.

“As a lifelong resident of South Dallas and Fair Park First board member, I am deeply honored to be part of the team dedicated to fulfilling the promise of our Community Park,” stated Jason Brown, community park project chair and Fair Park First board vice chair. “This grant not only reflects the immense support we’ve received but also fuels our commitment to bringing this transformational project to life for our community.”

Fair Park is a 277-acre park and historic fairground located in South Dallas. It is home to the largest collection of publicly owned Art Deco architecture and art in the United States and has been an incubator for the region’s most prestigious museums, institutions and events.

“This is terrific news for South Dallas and all the neighborhood members whose voices played such an important role in designing the Community Park,” said Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua, who represents the Fair Park area. “We are one big step closer to that special day when the Community Park will be filled with music and activities and packed with families and people of every age, gathering to experience the best of Fair Park.”

To learn more or donate to support the Community Park, visit fairparkdallas.org.

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