Fair Park

[Hannibal Lecter]

From DMN today.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politic ... rts-arena/

There’s no guarantee that Fair Park will get the full 20% of funding over 30 years if the proposition passes in November. While the Dallas City Council in April approved allowing the Cotton Bowl, Coliseum, Music Hall, the Band Shell, Automobile Building and Centennial Building to be eligible for money from the tax increase, the resolution is nonbinding.

The resolution has a clause that orders the city, pending voter approval, to “use good faith efforts to spend 20% of the revenues derived from the new 2% hotel occupancy tax for the Fair Park facilities listed in the proposition.”

Johnson said Thursday that he wasn’t sure how much the current council could bind the actions of future councils, but said the intent of the government body would be that all the money be used.

[tamtagon]

For goodness sakes. Bind the money to Fair Park.

Now, how about finding someone to get Liga MX to expand and someone to put a team at The Cotton Bowl.
There's already enough teams along the Rio Grande to show support for expansion into El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Corpus Christi, McAllen, Brownsville and every other population center in Texas. Maybe the big cities could actually get into the major league!

https://maphub.net/rhysapgruffydd/mexican-clubs

[Hannibal Lecter]

For goodness sakes. Bind the money to Fair Park.

Not legally possible. The a council cannot limit the actions of a future council.

[Tnexster]

AECOM tapped as program manager for Fair Park improvements

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news ... ments.html

Infrastructure consulting firm AECOM has been tapped to lead major capital improvements for Dallas' Fair Park – the site of the State Fair of Texas, the Cotton Bowl Stadium and African American Museum of Dallas – as program manager.

Fair Park First selected AECOM (NYSE: ACM) to oversee the delivery the Community Park Complex, an expansive 18-acre greenspace that also includes a 1,650-space parking structure. The firm will also serve as a partner on future projects with managing design, construction, permitting, and closeout, among other services as part of the Fair Park Masterplan Update.

[Hannibal Lecter]

Developer proposes new apartments near Dallas’ Fair Park
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... fair-park/

A developer that’s pushed the envelope of Deep Ellum with construction closer to Fair Park is seeking zoning for another project.

Larkspur Capital is finishing work on its first rental community on Commerce Street near Interstate 30. The eight-story Willow apartment building has almost 200 rental units on the eastern edge of Deep Ellum.

It also has another apartment building called the Juniper set for a site just a block away at 4003 Commerce St. near I-30.

Now the developer is seeking city approvals for an apartment project that would be just two blocks from the entrance to Fair Park and DART’s commuter rail station.

The development is planned for a vacant block near the corner of Haskell and Parry avenues.

...

The rental project could be between five and eight stories tall depending on how many below market rate units are included.

Larkspur has previously said it hopes to build around 240 units on the site, which is an area surrounded by older commercial properties. Dallas architect Corgan is designing the project.

[Tnexster]

Dallas’ Fair Park neighborhood set to see another new apartment project
The five-story, $60 million development on Ash Lane at Second Avenue will include 293 units.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... t-project/

[Hannibal Lecter]

Tnexster, where did you find that site plan?

[Tnexster]

Tnexster, where did you find that site plan?

It was in the DMN article.

[Hannibal Lecter]

^ Thanks. I don't see it there, probably because I have Javascript disabled.

I'm trying to figure out what they're planning to do with First Avenue. It looks from that drawing like they're going to redirect all traffic on 1st Avenue onto westbound I-30, but that makes no sense. More likely they're just relocating the entrance to the ramp, but even that's weird because why would they want to give up some of their land for no real reason.

It's just strange.

[OrangeMike]

^ Thanks. I don't see it there, probably because I have Javascript disabled.

I'm trying to figure out what they're planning to do with First Avenue. It looks from that drawing like they're going to redirect all traffic on 1st Avenue onto westbound I-30, but that makes no sense. More likely they're just relocating the entrance to the ramp, but even that's weird because why would they want to give up some of their land for no real reason.

It's just strange.

That was what I zeroed in on from the site plan. Why was First Avenue curving over to take out a corner of this lot? The portion that's shown is just a tiny piece of what is planned. The curve is apparently so the street can cross over the new (planned) depressed I-30 at a better angle of some sort. I cropped that part of one of the schematics and attached it here. I can't really tell which ramps will still be there. I know the entire redesigned stretch of 30 will have far fewer since there will be continuous frontage roads.

First Avenue and new I-30.png

[Hannibal Lecter]

^ Thanks for posting that. I think I can make an educated guess why First Avenue is getting the weird offset. The I-30 plan shows an onramp from First to eastbound 30. Keep in mind that the new main lanes will be below grade, ala NCX. They need to shift First Avenue a little to the west so there's room to get the ramp from grade level at First to below Exposition. Like I said, it's weird but now it makes sense.

Thanks again!

[tamtagon]

The highway really needs to be designed to accommodate efficient movement of large event traffic.

[Hannibal Lecter]

^ IMHO, the redesign does the opposite, which is what the neighborhood desires.

[Tnexster]

With planned $140 million Cotton Bowl renovation, is Texas-OU contract extension looming?
Saturday’s high-stakes Red River Rivalry matchup in Fair Park, coupled with major stadium upgrades, could kindle the deal’s extension beyond 2025.

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/texas ... n-looming/

In a special election last November, Dallas voters passed a referendum that enabled the city to enact 1997′s Brimer Bill and increase local occupancy tax by 2 percentage points, creating funding to expand Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and renovate six buildings in Fair Park.

Including the park’s centerpiece: the Cotton Bowl.

“I think we have a chance to be one of the premier outdoor venues in the country; maybe in the world,” said Bryan Trubey, Project Principal and executive vice president of Overland Partners Architecture and Urban Design, which is spearheading the Cotton Bowl’s renovation.

Trubey said he believes that once renovation is completed, the Cotton Bowl will be in the category of Pasadena, California’s 101-year-old Rose Bowl Stadium and the century-old Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

If anyone is qualified to make such an analogy it’s Trubey, one of the world’s foremost designers of sports and entertainment facilities.

[CTroyMathis]

Dropping in some TDLR info regarding the Cotton Bowl:

https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/TABS/Search/ ... 2024004726

Code: Select all

Project Name:
Cotton Bowl 2024 Renovation
Project Number:
TABS2024004726
Facility Name:
Cotton Bowl Stadium
Location Address:
3750 The Midway
Dallas, TX 75215
Location County:
Dallas
Start Date:
1/3/2024
Completion Date:
8/15/2024
Estimated Cost:
$56,000,000
Type of Work:
Additions to Existing Building
Type of Funds:
This project involves public funds, public land, or is a Federally funded roadway project.
Scope of Work:
Two suites of level 7 of the West Tower Press box, new mezzanine level and relocation of the Writing press, foundation for expanded main and upper concourses and vertical transportation knuckles (future phase) and street level restrooms.

Design Firm Name:
Overland Partners Architects

[Tnexster]

Plan moves forward for apartments near entrance to Dallas’ Fair Park
The Haskell Avenue rental community is one of several planned near Deep Ellum.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... fair-park/

Developers are moving ahead with plans to build an apartment community near the entrance to Dallas’ Fair Park.

Builder Larkspur Capital has been working since last year on the project on South Haskell Avenue near Parry Avenue. The planned development is one of several new rental communities in the works between Fair Park and Deep Ellum.

[maconahey]

Not sure if this is old or not







https://www.gensler.com/projects/fair-p ... -structure

[IcedCowboyCoffee]

It's rather breathtaking when you consider the full scope of what's planned here; this garage and the sloping park space attached to it would be a great addition even on its own, but it is all merely feeding into a park space with an even larger footprint.

I just don't like that Lagow st will seemingly still be open to traffic? Like, will some traffic be entering the garage from lagow st? If not, then the street should be closed.
And if yes, there needs to be a thousand bollards all over this space

[zaphod]

Seeing in the news that the Parks Board wants to close some community pools to fill funding gaps for Fair Park makes me kind of sad.

These renderings are cool but how much is Fair Park, beyond a site for the State Fair, valued by the ordinary resident of the city, in comparison with a lot of other things?

Dallas wastes money on landmarks at the expense of small scale things that collectively improve the quality of the city.

[The_Overdog]

That looks kind of awful to me, but maybe I'm missing the scale. So it's mostly a parking garage and 'green spaces' (strips of grass) rather than anything useful? I don't recall any elevation challenges at Fair Park, but maybe I've missed it.

The tell is the dad and kids playing soccer on the concrete. That place is going to be unshaded at hot as hell, just like the rest of the concrete spaces at Fair Park. I see some actual park spaces to the bottom, but no kids play equipment or anything? The shade sail thing looks ok, but is it right next to the parking lot? Why? Who wants to hang out next to a parking lot?

[IcedCowboyCoffee]

That looks kind of awful to me, but maybe I'm missing the scale. So it's mostly a parking garage and 'green spaces' (strips of grass) rather than anything useful? I don't recall any elevation challenges at Fair Park, but maybe I've missed it.

The tell is the dad and kids playing soccer on the concrete. That place is going to be unshaded at hot as hell, just like the rest of the concrete spaces at Fair Park. I see some actual park spaces to the bottom, but no kids play equipment or anything? The shade sail thing looks ok, but is it right next to the parking lot? Why? Who wants to hang out next to a parking lot?

The renderings above are really just the parking structure, which is getting park-like features that gradually ease into the actual Fair Park Community Park. That's where all the play equipment and such will be. The elevation comes from the parking garage structure itself; the land is going to be built up along the side of it to slope downwards. It honestly might not be a bad place to relax if only for the view above the actual park and an elevated view of Fair Park and the skyline to the side.

fairparkcommunitypark.jpg

You can see where the renderings overlap with the diamond patch of trees.

But yeah, this is the actual park:

communitypark2.jpg

communitypark1.jpg

[IcedCowboyCoffee]

Does anyone here have any materials from Dallas's bid for the 2024 Olympics that we made back in 2014?

With the games going on right now WFAA put out an article reminding us about the failed bid, which would have centered around Fair Park.

I was just curious if any pitch materials were ever released publicly? Overly optimistic watercolor paintings, site-plans, the sort of stuff that would have been sent in to give a rough idea what the plan might have looked like. I haven't found anything myself but I'm super curious about it and how planners envisioned the logistics of it all.
My guess is that these two surface lots where the community park and garage are going would have been where the 15,000 unit olympic village would have been constructed.

I would have loved the games coming here. Getting that massive injection of state and federal dollars to spruce up Fair Park--for what would be treated like the Texas Centennial--would have been nice to already have gotten done already.
Might have been able to get the D2 subway and a Fair Park streetcar link funded and built already. A rail link to Arlington's stadiums, a rail link up to Frisco's Toyota stadium maybe... I think we'd have been surprised how easily the purses would have opened up and how quickly things could have moved if the Olympic committee made those things their stipulations for us to get the hosting gig. But oh well.

[Hannibal Lecter]

^ https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily- ... s-in-2024/

[DauntlessDash]

I would have loved the games coming here ...

It would've been really fun to experience it here and there probably would've been some good infrastructure that came out of it. But even disregarding that most recent Olympics have been financial boondoggles, I think it'd be better saved for the future.

To me the best Olympics are a celebration of a city's success (Tokyo 1964) and the worst try to abuse the games to bring about an overnight transformation (Rio 2016). The metroplex is in the process of absorbing an utterly massive population increase, with all the growing pains that entails. Perhaps not the best time to go on the world stage. If DFW can succeed at that task, then is the time to celebrate.

[IcedCowboyCoffee]

^ https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily- ... s-in-2024/

Thanks for this

I would have loved the games coming here ...

It would've been really fun to experience it here and there probably would've been some good infrastructure that came out of it. But even disregarding that most recent Olympics have been financial boondoggles, I think it'd be better saved for the future.

To me the best Olympics are a celebration of a city's success (Tokyo 1964) and the worst try to abuse the games to bring about an overnight transformation (Rio 2016). The metroplex is in the process of absorbing an utterly massive population increase, with all the growing pains that entails. Perhaps not the best time to go on the world stage. If DFW can succeed at that task, then is the time to celebrate.

I definitely had the same thought as I’m imagining it. Having it now would be fun and those investments would have been great, but there’s still a lot about current Dallas that would still be the same. Still the same crappy convention center building, still a disjointed core, still a sea of surface parking downtown. As an event for showcasing our city we’re not there yet. Just imagining those aerial establishing shots of the KBHCC for whatever sports would have been held in there..

30 years from now? For sure. Convention center replaced, i345 sunken, and presumably i30 from downtown to Fair Park as well, giving a clear line of sight from the olympic site to downtown. 30 years of additional development. 30 years of additional population growth. Klyde warren expanded. Maybe those deck parks connecting DT to cedars. Jerry World probably replaced by then, Toyota Stadium maybe replaced as well, Memorial Auditorium renovated. I cannot imagine there would be any remaining surface lots in the downtown loop 30 years from now.
But i’ll be hella old by then . And we might overheat ourselves out of consideration by that point unless the olympic committee is flexible enough to let us host in the fall. Even june might be way too hot at that point.

[wbarch]

Larkspur turning dirt for their MF project called The Dahl at Ash & 2nd Ave.
https://larkspurcapital.com/projects/the-dahl
https://larkspurcapital.com/uploads/pro ... r-Park.jpg

[lakewoodhobo]

Larkspur turning dirt for their MF project called The Dahl at Ash & 2nd Ave.
https://larkspurcapital.com/projects/the-dahl
https://larkspurcapital.com/uploads/pro ... r-Park.jpg

I'm glad this is getting built, but (sorry) what an insult to George Dahl. The only hint of architecture I see here are some vertical lines, so I suppose this is the LaCroix "essence of Deco".

[The_Overdog]

Is there an aerial location map? Ash and 2nd Ave is right up against I30 and caught between all the unnecessary flyovers that cut off Fair Park to the east. That's a terrible location to live, but if they get rid of a few of the flyover lanes and just turn back into the original grid that'd be a real gain.