DALLAS — A new organization is managing the funds of Fair Park First, the nonprofit that oversees Fair Park and is working to build a community green space there.
The news comes after issues arose earlier this year between Fair Park First and its subcontractor, Oak View Group, over misappropriated donor funds.
The Dallas Foundation, a nonprofit that guides philanthropic efforts in the city, announced Tuesday that it is managing current and future donations to Fair Park First.
Last week, Fair Park First leaders presented updated plans for the roughly $39 million, 10-acre community park to members of the Dallas Park and Recreation Board. The park will be located just east of Dos Equis Pavilion and construction is expected to begin in the spring or summer of 2025. Construction crews will work around the State Fair of Texas and other major events.
“This is a community-first development,” said Alyssa Arnold, Fair Park First’s acting CEO. “With this partnership and support finalized, it gives us the time and ability to focus on fulfilling and producing a project that our neighbors and all of Dallas can be proud of and enjoy.”
The Dallas Foundation’s management of funds for Fair Park First comes after a report earlier this year found the park was missing $5.7 million in donor funds restricted to specific projects. There are no allegations that money was stolen or spent outside the park boundaries.
“The Dallas Foundation’s role provides an additional level of oversight and stewardship, since our primary goal remains to do what’s best for the city and people of Dallas. For almost 100 years, we’ve focused on strengthening Dallas, and a dynamic Fair Park is essential to that mission,” said The Dallas Foundation CEO Julie Diaz.
The Dallas Foundation has worked with similar ventures, including Southern Gateway Park, a deck park over I-35 now known as Halperin Park; Bonton Farms, an urban farming community in South Dallas; and the Innercity Community Development Corporation for revitalization around Fair Park.