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, the city of Dallas, Dallas Park and Recreation Department, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife, in partnership with Fair Park First, announced.

“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,” U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett said in a statement. “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’m 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!”

Rendering of Community Park Complex coming to Fair Park. [Image: Fair Park First and Studio Outside]

Grant is a Dallas first

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 $254.68 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 $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.

“Parks are one of Dallas’ most important assets,” Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson said in a statement. “And I’m 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.”

Rendering of Community Park Complex coming to Fair Park. [Image: Fair Park First]

Park particulars

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.

“The Community Park is the centerpiece of our commitment to our neighbors,” Veletta Forsythe-Lill, board chair of Fair Park First, said. “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.”

Aerial rendering of Community Park Complex coming to Fair Park. [Image: Fair Park First and Studio Outside]

John D. Jenkins, director, Dallas Park and Recreation Department, said the funds will lead to a valuable asset for the city.

“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,” Jenkins said. “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 city said that the Community Park will be a doorway into Fair Park for the surrounding communities, while attracting citizens from around North Texas.

“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,” Arun Agarwal, president of the Dallas Park Board, said in a statement. “We’re enormously honored to be one of just 54 projects across the country to be awarded.”

The park’s preferred location is Parking Lot 10, south of Lagow Street and north of Exposition Avenue between Pennsylvania and Fitzhugh Avenues. The site is near 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,” Alyssa Arnold, acting CEO of Fair Park First, said in a statement. “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.”

More on ORLP program and Community Park

The ORLP program was established in 2014 and is a nationally competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant program that aids disadvantaged, urban communities that lack access to close-by outdoor recreation.

It 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% of total project costs.

“As a lifelong resident of South Dallas and Fair Park First board member, I;m deeply honored to be part of the team dedicated to fulfilling the promise of our Community Park,” Jason Brown, Community Park Project chair and Fair Park First Board vice chair, said in a statement. “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, the 277-acre park and historic fairground located in South Dallas, is home to the largest collection of publicly owned Art Deco architecture and art in the U.S. 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’re 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.”

Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.

Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.