DALLAS – Fair Park is in much worse condition now than it was before the city turned over management to the for-profit company, Oak View Group.
Now, city leaders are trying to figure out who has rental contracts at Fair Park, since the management company is refusing to share that information.
Fair Park in Disrepair
What we know:
Dallas’s hopes and dreams for a vibrant Fair Park under the leadership of Oak View Group ended on Thursday with the realization that the venue is still underutilized and now in disrepair.
Photos shown during a Dallas Park and Recreation Board meeting showed the difference between Fair Park’s signature fountain before the city hired Oak View Group and now.
There were also images of crumbling buildings and graffiti.
What they’re saying:
Board President Arun Agarwal had only one word to describe the images – anger.
“I think it’s a clear example of how absolute power corrupts. Yes, OVG was responsible. They did not do basic maintenance, and they left all those assets much worse from when we gave it to them,” he said.
The other side:
FOX 4 reached out to Oak View Group for a response but has not yet received one.
The backstory:
The city of Dallas terminated Oak View Group’s contract after realizing the management firm had misused donations intended to build a park.
The contract with the nonprofit organization Fair Park First has also not yet been renewed.
City of Dallas ends agreement with Fair Park management company
The City of Dallas announced on Wednesday that it will end its agreement with Fair Park First, the nonprofit that manages Fair Park. A 2024 audit alleged Fair Park First’s for-profit umbrella company, OVG360, misspent $5.7 million in restricted donor funds.
Brian Luallen, the CEO of Fair Park First, resigned amid the controversy in July of last year.
Then last month, the former CEO of Oak View Group, Tim Leiweke, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a separate matter and charged with conspiracy to rig the bidding process for a basketball arena at the University of Texas in Austin.
Agarwal requested a forensic audit of Oak View Group nearly a year ago after he couldn’t get answers to basic questions.
“Contracts from Rolling Stones to some other events, they really were some of the red flags which immediately came up,” he said.
Fair Park’s Future
What we know:
Going forward, the Dallas Parks Department will be in charge of Fair Park.
The director plans to hire outside companies for tasks ranging from maintenance to venue rentals. He will also hire a manager to oversee the contracts.
One immediate need is to find out who already has events booked at Fair Park. There are concerns about contracts for spaces that may be double-booked.
There’s no indication these headaches will impact the park’s marquee event – the upcoming State Fair of Texas.
But board members are beyond disappointed with the mismanagement.
What they’re saying:
“When we had these discussions eight years ago those of us who sat on the board and chose of the three proposals, we thought that we invested in Fair Park First and Spectra because they knew, based on a worldwide reputation, that they knew how to operate municipal venues. And so, now that hasn’t worked,” said Calvert Collins, a board member.
Collins said Fair Park will always be on the city’s balance sheet.
“There will never be enough revenue to cover the capital needs at Fair Park. We have to as a board realize that. There will never be enough conventions, volleyball tournaments, visitors to the state fair and the aquarium that will ever be able to pay for Fair Park’s true operational needs,” she said.
What’s next:
In the coming weeks, the board and Dallas City Council will decide whether to renew Fair Park First’s contract so that it can continue with fundraising efforts.
The alternative is a robust search process for another nonprofit organization to be in charge of fundraising.
The Source: FOX 4’s Lori Brown gathered details for this story at Thursday’s Dallas Park and Recreation Board meeting and in an interview with board president Arun Agarwal.