New Designs Unveiled for Fair Park Projects Contingent on November Hotel Tax Increase

This month, Fair Park officials unveiled designs for more than $300 million in upgrades to the Cotton Bowl Stadium and State Fair of Texas facilities — but whether those drawings come to life depends on how voters cast their ballots on Nov. 8. 

The projects would be funded by a 2 percent increase in hotel occupancy taxes, from 13 percent to 15 percent. The proposition, which is referred to as the Brimer Bill, also would secure $1.5 billion for expanding and renovating Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas. 

The Dallas City Council approved earlier this year a measure placing the HOT tax increase on the November ballot. 

Jason Brown — a broker with Brownstone Real Estate Group, Fair Park First board member, and resident of the South Dallas area — said getting the park activated with year-round programming is a plus for the whole community. 

“We’re talking about capital improvements for a park that all of Dallas gets to enjoy,” Brown said. “It’s going to give those buildings new life, not to mention the convention center. The first time I heard someone say they were going to travel to Dallas for a convention, I was like, ‘What?’ This is an opportunity to really look at what our community looks like from a tourist standpoint. We need to plan what the city is going to look like 20 or 40 years from now.” 

Fair Park First

Darren James, president of Fair Park First, said the upgrades amount to the largest single investment for Fair Park since the Texas Centennial Exhibition in 1936.

“The resulting improvements to facilities such as the band shell, coliseum, Cotton Bowl Stadium, and exhibition halls will bring those facilities into the 21^st century and make them attractive for increased year-round use now and well into the future,” James said in a press release. 

Other Fair Park facilities, which supporters say are vital to the State Fair of Texas and the park at large, include the Automobile Building, Centennial Hall, and Music Hall at Fair Park.  

“The coming election is an opportunity to greatly restore and improve these historic facilities at no cost to local taxpayers,” said Brian Luallen, CEO of Fair Park First. “This is a game changer for Fair Park and creates an incredible experience for millions of visitors a year.”

Brown, a three-year board member and chair of Fair Park First’s finance committee, said $300 million is actually not enough to do all the needed upgrades at the park. 

“I think one of the biggest concerns watching this bill is people want to make sure the Cotton Bowl doesn’t swallow up all the money, because that’s the Big Kahuna,” Brown said. “We understand there’s a lot of deferred maintenance, a long-neglected park, buildings that haven’t been touched in God-knows-how-long. We’re going to rank the buildings based on our ability to book them. We’re going to improve the whole park.” 

South Dallas Neighborhoods

While the Brimer Bill is about improving Fair Park as a Dallas tourism asset, its improvements certainly will benefit the surrounding neighborhoods, Brown said. 

“People get excited about what’s happening with Fair Park,” he said. “It gives people in the area a sense of hope. It reaffirms that Fair Park is a great area. They’re seeing TxDOT’s work and the cohesiveness. They’ve already had their eye on this neighborhood and they believe this is a good investment. The overall perspective of positive growth and revitalization in the park gives people some pride in Fair Park. It reassures buyers and stakeholders.” 

A team is working on culling down a massive report on the condition of Fair Park buildings into an executive summary to determine which facilities have the most immediate needs, Brown said. 

“This isn’t something that we’re making up,” he said. “We’re getting feedback from our promoters about why it’s hard to put on an event here. They want to be in Fair Park and make it work. We want to activate it for the entire calendar year.” 

Designs and Financing

Fair Park First engaged Overland Partners to produce designs for Fair Park, described by the architectural team as “a 277-acre work of experiential art unlike any other place in the world.” Overland is partnering with an all-local team that features national experience in sports, entertainment, performing arts, historic preservation, art, and engineering, said Bryan Trubey of Overland Partners.  

“Fair Park has the potential to be one of the most significant, iconic, monumental urban entertainment and sports destination environments anywhere in the world,” Trubey said in a press release. “And ultimately, this once-in-a-lifetime project is much bigger than a quantified economic impact.”

The fund slated to pay for the Fair Park improvements is from tourism, so there’s no impact to the city’s general fund or property taxes, advocates have explained. 

“With voters, it’s always like, ‘What’s it going to cost me?’” Brown said. “In this case, we don’t really have to sell it. It’s not a direct tax on the people who live here. I believe that, based on cites our size, our hotel tax is actually lower, so raising it 2 percent is just bringing us up in line with other cities.”