After Dallas Let Fair Park Crumble, a Search, Finally, for Tenants to Fill Empty Landmarks

Monday morning, just before 10 a.m., the thermometer already dripping sweat, crews were spread across Fair Park prepping the place for the State Fair of Texas still five weeks down the calendar. Coupons booths had already been erected; giant signs, affixed to buildings; tents and structures, half-assembled. The place almost looked one Fletcher's corn dog away from a howdy-folks. Perched in the center of the morning's action was the Tower Building, called the Federal Building upon its construction for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. Until recently the sleek deco structure was where city officials tasked with Fair Park's operations office Now it serves as HQ for the nonprofit Fair Park First and its for-profit partner called Spectra, each charged with resurrecting the moribund landmark.I'd gone to see Brian Luallen, the newly hired Fair Park First executive director, who just moved here from Long Beach, Calif., after serving as director of entertainment events for the Queen Mary. There he was hailed for creating a ghost-ship tour aboard the long-ago luxury liner. Now he's angling to fill Fair Park's vacant buildings.  Continue reading...