DALLAS — The Cotton Bowl renovation project is moving along after the Dallas City Council approved additional funding up to a bit over $65 million for it Wednesday.
The new funding is part of a $140 million renovation of the 94-year-old stadium in Fair Park. The work is expected to be finished by September 2025, in time for next year’s State Fair.
The additional $65 million is expected to help pay for improving restrooms and concessions spaces, expanding concourses on the west side of the stadium, adding escalators, and more. The renovations are also expected to include new entries and seating.
The city council approved an initial $145,000 contract with JE Dunn-Russell for work on the stadium and added up to $52.9 million to that in February.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum happening in South Dallas and Fair Park specifically,” Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua said. “I’m really excited.’
The Cotton Bowl renovations are part of a $300 million investment in Fair Park, the largest in the fairgrounds' 137-year history.
“It’s the largest project we’ve ever done in the Dallas Parks system, it’s an iconic building, of course in Dallas and the state of Texas,” Dallas Parks and Recreation assistant director Ryan O’Connor said.
The Cotton Bowl stadium renovations were part of the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma agreement announced in December to keep the Red River Rivalry at the stadium through 2036. The rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma goes back to 1900,
The funding for the project comes from a 2% increase in hotel occupancy taxes Dallas voters approved in 2022.
The Cotton Bowl hosts the Red River Showdown and the State Fair Classic game between Grambling State University and Prairie View A&M University each year.
