Willis Winters: Dallas’ Proposition A Could Preserve Fair Park Forever

By Willis Winters
Special Contributor

On Nov. 8, Dallas voters will be given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to approve as much as $300 million for critically needed enhancements at the most beloved and iconic place in our city: Fair Park.

This funding will come from a proposed 2 percent increase in the hotel/motel tax that would be paid by visitors who stay overnight in Dallas hotels. There will be no increase in either property or sales tax for Dallas residents. 

The increase in the hotel/motel tax will generate approximately $1.5 billion over the next 30 years to pay for an expanded convention center in downtown Dallas, in addition to the improvements at Fair Park.

This funding mechanism was made possible by legislation originally passed in 1997 and utilized by Dallas to fund the construction of the American Airlines Center.  Last year, under the expert recommendations of State Rep. Rafael Anchia and State Sen. Royce West and shepherded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the bill was amended to remove an exclusion that restricted the money from being used for a public park.

In April, the Dallas City Council voted to allocate 20 percent of the Convention Center’s funded budget — approximately $300 million — to upgrade and enhance six visitor attractions at Fair Park approved by the Park Board: the Cotton Bowl, the Centennial and Automobile buildings, the Coliseum, the Music Hall, and the Band Shell. Upgrades to these facilities will address critical infrastructure needs — and just as importantly — allow them to be used more frequently and with a higher level of visitor amenities and comfort expected by both Dallas residents and visitors.

Fair Park Played a Central Role in Dallas History

For 136 years, Fair Park has played a central role in the civic, cultural, and economic aspirations of Dallas, including the annual State Fair — held at this site since 1886 — which helped establish Dallas as the most important center of agriculture and commerce in the region.

Fair Park has played host to some of our history’s most seminal cultural events and some of our most noted political and popular figures — FDR, Queen Elizabeth II, Martin Luther King Jr., Elvis, and BB King.  It was the long-time home of the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Opera, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. It was the first home of the Dallas Cowboys and has hosted a Formula One international Grand Prix race.

In addition, Dallas’ first museums of history, science, and horticulture, and the first public aquarium were all located at Fair Park.  Fair Park has carved out a distinct niche in the hearts and minds of almost everyone that calls Dallas their home. It’s difficult to imagine what kind of place Dallas would be without Fair Park.

Home of The Texas Centennial Exposition

In 1936, Fair Park was transformed into a glittering exposition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas independence. Legendary Dallas architect George Dahl was hired to create the gleaming monumental style of architecture he employed to transform the former fairgrounds into what is today acknowledged as the most extraordinary and important collection of Art Deco architecture and monumental public art in the world.

Thirty-five buildings and structures remain today at Fair Park from the Texas Centennial Exposition. In a mere 14 years, these buildings built for the centennial will themselves be 100 years of age — and they are showing their age. In the 86 years that have passed since the exposition, the buildings, structures, and art at Fair Park have deteriorated to the point that serious intervention is required to preserve them.

It’s a daunting task, and despite the best efforts of the City of Dallas to dedicate funds for the stabilization and restoration of the historic buildings, Dallas has too many other capital priorities to ever be able to allocate sufficient funding in a bond program to adequately address Fair Park’s immense needs inventory.

Fortunately, we now have a solution to the ongoing funding woes — a solution that ensures Fair Park will be restored and enhanced as a viable and desirable destination venue (including for World Cup soccer in 2026 and the Texas Bicentennial Exposition in 2036) for generations to come.

Vote “Yes” for Proposition A on Nov. 8, in support of our beloved Fair Park.