Dallas Residents Consider the Future of Fair Park

For decades people have talked about making Fair Park a year-round destination. Now, a group says it has a plan to make it happen.

More than 400 people attended a meeting Tuesday evening at the Hall of State Auditorium at Fair Park to hear about the proposal.

James Runnels owns a barbecue restaurant across the street from Fair Park and says word of plans to revitalize Fair Park is nothing new.

"They've been talking about that since '65 I presume," said Runnels. "Fifty years later they're still talking about it."

Fair Park is home to 277 acres of museums, attractions, history and art. Three weeks a year the park generates more than $42 million in revenue at the State Fair of Texas, but many of the park's amenities go unused during the other 49 weeks of the year.

"Quite frankly I think we have, as a community, have neglected Fair Park," said Walt Humann Sr., former Dallas Area Rapid Transit chair.

Humann is one of the members of a task force Mayor Mike Rawlings formed in 2013 to map out the future for the park. Last month, the group presented its findings to the city council and suggested forming an independent non-profit agency, The Fair Park Texas Foundation. The agency would hold final authority over park planning and development.

Many local leaders and architectural experts believe something needs to be done quickly.

"Fair Park is one of the true civic jewels of Dallas, and you don't have too many in any city. It's a signature space and it's surrounded by South Dallas, a neighborhood in need of revitalization.

Here is an incredible opportunity to provide an amenity for this city, save these buildings and help rebuild this community," said Mark Lamster, architecture critic for The Dallas Morning News.

"I think that one of my focuses is going to be the community around Fair Park as well as what is happening inside of Fair Park," said Vicki Meek, manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center.

"There are children in this area that have no idea what's inside Fair Park," Vicki Meek, manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center told the standing-room only crowd Tuesday.

"This is disconnected from the community. It needs to be part of the community it sits in," she added.

Kevin Afghani owns Craft and Growler, a craft beer pub and store directly across the street from Fair Park. He grew up visiting the park, and even got married at the park.

"There are all of these proposals on the table and we will see if any of them stick," he said.

NBC 5's Eric King contributed to this report.