Fair Park First has announced a $3 million appropriation from the State of Texas as a major step toward transforming Fair Park and moving forward on its Community Park in South Dallas.

The investment — secured during the 2025 Legislative Session and led by State Rep. Venton Jones and State Sen. Royce West — accelerates progress on the Community Park, a bold initiative to return space to the community, the organization said.

In an announcement, West said he’s kept a close eye on efforts to revive Fair Park while listening to concerns from the South Dallas and Fair Park community.

“When it comes to the treasure that is our beloved Fair Park, I am always interested,” he said. He called it his “duty and honor” to help push the funding through from the House to the Senate.

“Fair Park will always have a friend in me,” West added.

‘Shade, safety, beauty, and belonging’

The Community Park covers 10.5 acres and is the signature project of the Fair Park Master Plan. It will serve as a civic anchor with shaded gathering spaces, playgrounds, walking trails, a market grove, fitness hub, native landscaping, community pavilion, and stage.

Jones, who represents District 100, called the funding “a major step forward in our fight for a more equitable Dallas.”

He said the Community Park investment will help uplift South Dallas and show that “every community, regardless of zip code, deserves safe, beautiful, and accessible public space.”

Jones added that the new park will create a place for people to gather while supporting long-term health by expanding access to nature, recreation and wellness in an area that has often gone without.

Designed in collaboration with more than 1,100 voices and input from South Dallas neighborhood residents, the park represents a long-overdue goal of access, greenspace, and opportunity, Fair Park First said.

Jason Brown, vice chair of the Fair Park First Board and a fifth-generation South Dallas resident, said the funding moves the project closer to delivering on its promise of a place for families, children, and community culture.

“This funding gets us meaningfully closer to delivering on a promise to our residents — a place where families can come together, children can play, and culture can thrive,” he said.

Brown thanked Sen. Royce West and Rep. Venton Jones for championing the investment, adding that their support will help create “something transformative for the next generation.”

The $3 million state investment adds to a growing base of support for Fair Park First from private donors, philanthropic foundations, and competitive public grants, building momentum behind one of the most ambitious public space initiatives in Fair Park’s recent history.

Council Member Adam Bazaldua called the project “a direct reflection of the voices and values of the South Dallas community.”

He said the goal is to give residents what they’ve asked for — “shade, safety, beauty, and belonging.” Bazaldua added that with the state funding, the park is one step closer to becoming a place that truly serves the people.

Groundbreaking slated for next summer

Evelyn Amaya, Fair Park First community engagement director, former Fair Park First Board member, and lifelong South Dallas resident, said the investment is a personally important moment.

Amaya called the project “a homecoming,” after years of living in the neighborhood, serving on the Fair Park First board, and hearing from residents.

“For too long, our community’s needs were sidelined,” she said. “But now, through true partnership, we’re bringing this dream to life — not for the community, but with the community. That’s the real victory.”

Campaign advisor Heather Stevens said the milestone has a deeper meaning.

Stevens said every dollar committed from both public and philanthropic sources helps deliver on a goal that has been decades in the making.

She called the $3 million appropriation, led by Sen. West and Rep. Jones, an important step that moves the park project closer to completion.

“This park is more than greenspace; it’s an investment in health, access, and recreation for the 13 neighborhoods surrounding Fair Park,” Stevens said.

With this latest appropriation, Fair Park First said it now has less than $6 million remaining to fully fund the project.

Groundbreaking is slated to begin in August 2026.

“The finish line is in sight,” Brown said. “This park will be a legacy for generations — and thanks to the powerful coalition of public and private funders and our partners behind us, we’re well on our way to opening the gates to a greener, healthier, and more connected South Dallas.”

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