$13M grant could speed up Dallas’s Community Park project
Millions of dollars hang in the balance for Dallas’s Community Park project. Here’s what you need to know.
On Wednesday, Dallas’s City Council voted to remove the Dallas Park and Recreation Board’s authority over the decision-making process for Community Park, a new project at Fair Park that has been in limbo for several months. Groundbreaking has been delayed while the Park Board has considered whether to grant Fair Park First, an embroiled nonprofit, permission to begin building the new park. Oak View Group, Fair Park First’s former partner, is currently being audited by the city over $5.7 million in restricted donor funds being misallocated. As of writing, that audit has not been completed. Now, a $13 million grant hangs in the balance as a City Council committee works to review and sign a new development agreement.
The motion to remove the Park Board was introduced in motions by Adam Bazaldua, who represents the Fair Park district. He said he was motivated to take action because “the last thing I want to see is egg splattered on the face of South Dallas, yet again, to allow for delays in the politics to prevent progress.” Several members of the City Council expressed similar sentiments, though others are skeptical of rushing through the vetting process. It’s unclear how the Parks, Trails, and Environment committee will lean in their decision-making or when a final agreement will be signed. The next committee meeting will be held on February 2, but Community Park discussions will take place at a separate, special meeting that has not been scheduled yet.
There is some urgency involved here, as there’s a March 10 deadline for the $13 million in funds from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant.
A new agreement is needed before Mar. 10 to speed up the project’s completion
The estimated total cost for the Community Park project is $40 million. $33 million of that has already been raised, including $13 million in grant money. That grant money, though, has a March 10 deadline, as that’s the final date to draw state and federal funding. Losing a significant chunk of the raised funds would further delay the park’s completion, Adam Bazaldua said. “Continued inaction risks undermining years of trust and jeopardizing future philanthropic investment in South Dallas, not just Fair Park.”
Maxie Johnson, a City Council Member, said a new agreement must be reached before then to ensure the project is completed as originally intended.“This is what we need. We need progress, not procrastination, wrapped in more broken promises,” she told KERA News. Residents agree with Johnson and say that this isn’t just about the park itself—it’s about the community. Tracy Forbs, a resident of South Dallas, delivered an important message to the City Council regarding Community Park: “This park is not a luxury. It’s a long promised investment in a community that has too often been overlooked.”
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