Dallas could ask voters to sign off on $300M Fair Park renovation plan

Dallas considers funding for Fair Park renovations

There are big and costly plans for Fair Park in Dallas. Voters in the city will be asked to approve them with a promise it will not raise sales or property taxes.

DALLAS - The Dallas City Council may ask voters to approve a hotel tax hike to pay for renovations to Fair Park and expand the convention center.

Six Fair Park sites would receive a combined $250 million for upgrades. Those sites include the Cotton Bowl, Music Hall and the exhibition sites at Centennial Hall.

Improvements would include restoring murals along the Esplanade and fixing structural and mechanical issues at the Cotton Bowl.

If the measure passes, it would represent the largest capital investment in Fair Park history.

It would also give the city $50 million to tear down and rebuild the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center.

It’s expected that the measure would not raise sales or property taxes. Instead, the $300 million would come from a 2% increase in the city’s hotel occupancy tax.

If the council signs off, it will go to the November ballot for voters to decide.

In the next few months, the 2026 World Cup Soccer sites will be announced. These renovations to the Cotton Bowl and expedition sites may improve Dallas’ chances in that bid.

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