The National Park Service has given Dallas an $8.6 million grant to replace a parking lot at Fair Park with green space. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett worked with the Department of Interior to secure the grant.
"Texas is known for its natural beauty--but for Black and Brown communities like the ones I represent in the South Dallas area, too much of that natural beauty has been paved over, polluted and made inaccessible," Crockett wrote in a statement.
The park will replace Parking Lot 10, south of the Cotton Bowl and east of Dos Equis Pavilion near the southern edge of Fair Park.
"We can speak about green space, we can speak about getting rid of concrete, but there's a significance here I think is very monumental," says Dallas City Councilman Adam Bazaldua. "This is much greater than a gift, much greater than a park. This is us acknowledging our city's history and making our future better."
Bazaldua, leaders of Dallas Parks and Recreation and board members of Fair Park First spoke at an event at the site of the future park this week. They say the parking lot split neighborhoods apart.
"Through the long and storied history of Fair Park, almost 140 years, there have been moments of light and moments of darkness," says Veletta Forsythe-Lill. "Each of those moments, dark and light, were a reflection of this city. This investment in this city allows a dark moment to step into the light."
Fair Park First says construction of a park will give people who live nearby a place to gather year-round with interconnected green space and trails.
"It empowers us to transform Fair Park into a vibrant, inclusive hub for recreation, culture and community connections," says Dallas Parks and Recreation Board Member Daniel Wood.
Fair Park First says it chose Lot 10 as the site of the park after "extensive public engagement" with the State Fair of Texas, other organizations that use Fair Park and people who live nearby. Community Park will be built during the first phase of the organization's master plan.
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