{"id":40982,"date":"2025-07-05T14:42:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T14:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/40982\/"},"modified":"2025-07-05T14:42:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T14:42:16","slug":"texas-awards-3m-to-fair-park-first-for-planned-community-park-dallas-innovates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/40982\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Awards $3M to Fair Park First for Planned Community Park \u00bb Dallas Innovates"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rendering of a new children’s playground at the planned Fair Park Community Park complex [Image: Fair Park First and Studio Outside, 2023]<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The investment \u2014 secured during the 2025 Legislative Session and led by State Rep. Venton Jones and State Sen. Royce West \u2014 accelerates progress on the Community Park, a bold initiative to return space to the community, the organization said.<\/p>\n

In an announcement, West said he\u2019s kept a close eye on efforts to revive Fair Park while listening to concerns from the South Dallas and Fair Park community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to the treasure that is our beloved Fair Park, I am always interested,\u201d he said. He called it his \u201cduty and honor\u201d to help push the funding through from the House to the Senate.<\/p>\n

\u201cFair Park will always have a friend in me,\u201d West added.<\/p>\n

\u2018Shade, safety, beauty, and belonging\u2019<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Jones, who represents District 100, called the funding \u201ca major step forward in our fight for a more equitable Dallas.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the Community Park investment will help uplift South Dallas and show that \u201cevery community, regardless of zip code, deserves safe, beautiful, and accessible public space.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis funding gets us meaningfully closer to delivering on a promise to our residents \u2014 a place where families can come together, children can play, and culture can thrive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Brown thanked Sen. Royce West and Rep. Venton Jones for championing the investment, adding that their support will help create \u201csomething transformative for the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s recent history.<\/p>\n

Council Member Adam Bazaldua called the project \u201ca direct reflection of the voices and values of the South Dallas community.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the goal is to give residents what they\u2019ve asked for \u2014 \u201cshade, safety, beauty, and belonging.\u201d Bazaldua added that with the state funding, the park is one step closer to becoming a place that truly serves the people.<\/p>\n

Groundbreaking slated for next summer<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Amaya called the project \u201ca homecoming,\u201d after years of living in the neighborhood, serving on the Fair Park First board, and hearing from residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, our community\u2019s needs were sidelined,\u201d she said. \u201cBut now, through true partnership, we\u2019re bringing this dream to life \u2014 not for the community, but with the community. That\u2019s the real victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campaign advisor Heather Stevens said the milestone has a deeper meaning.<\/p>\n

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

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

\u201cThis park is more than greenspace; it\u2019s an investment in health, access, and recreation for the 13 neighborhoods surrounding Fair Park,\u201d Stevens said.<\/p>\n

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

Groundbreaking is slated to begin in August 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe finish line is in sight,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThis park will be a legacy for generations \u2014 and thanks to the powerful coalition of public and private funders and our partners behind us, we\u2019re well on our way to opening the gates to a greener, healthier, and more connected South Dallas.\u201d<\/p>\n

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