LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT'S ROLE IN DEVELOPING ANDIOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT

Beginning in August 2002, the Landscape Architect led a multifaceted team on a fifteen-month project to develop a long-term plan to increase the vitality of Fair Park. The team included urban planners, civil, traffic and structural engineers, preservation architects., economic, marketing and sports facilities consultants, a cost estimator and community coordinator. The Landscape Architect not only coordinated the group of consultants, but implemented a successful public input process that culminated in the approval of the Plan by the Dallas City Council.

SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE PROJECT'S PROGRAM (REQUIREMENTS, LIMITATIONS, SCOPE, INTENT, PLANNING/DESIGN PHILOSOPHY)

Fair Park, a 277 acre site is a National Historic Landmark due to its significance as the location of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. Fair Park contains the largest collection of intact grouping of Exposition buildings remaining in the United States. Fair Park is described as the "finest collection of Art Deco buildings in the country" . Although Fair Park is unique as a historic site and is only two miles from downtown Dallas, it has not reached its full potential due to the public's perception of it being an unsafe location. Other factors include inadequate funding, advocacy and a strong master plan.       Additionally, the physical connection of Fair Park with the neighborhood is weak, thereby creating a perceived barrier to the surrounding community.

The project goals for the Fair Park Comprehensive Development Plan included: create a signature public park; uphold the park's historic legacy; support the museums and the State Fair of Texas, while activating the park with new programs and uses; encourage economic vitality; and enhance the connectivity with the community and the greater Dallas metroplex.

The Landscape Architects analyzed Fair Park's physical conditions and studied comparable sites around the world, prior to proceeding with the planning work. From the physical analysis they found that Fair Park had very little permeable area, especially considering that it is a "park". Also, recreational and support facilities, such as restaurants, were sorely lacking, thereby limiting the visitor's length of stay in the park. Allowing for the growth of the various institutions at Fair Park, while still maintaining the integrity of the historic fabric of the site, was another challenge. Fair Park also suffered from a lack of advocacy. The Comprehensive Development Plan addressed these issues, and others, and found appropriate and innovative solutions.

With so many interested parties - both individuals and institutions - emphasis was placed on the input process so that all the stakeholders' considerations would become an integral part of the solution. The Landscape Architect led the input process, which included frequent meetings and three public forums with representatives from the Fair Park campus family, in addition to neighborhood representatives and citizens. A website allowed input from the public and included a questionnaire that elicited perceptive insights from a wide audience. Historically fractious groups came to better understand the current situation and began to create realistic goals for the future.

Previously, many of the institutions had feared expanding their buildings due to the perceived restrictive historical criteria. This caused a major obstacle in the development of the park. The consultant team, in working with the local and state regulatory agencies, devised a plan for expansion of the institutions that would allow for 'signature' buildings and outdoor exhibit areas outside of the historic boundary. The consultant team also worked with the City of Dallas Landmark Commission and the Texas Historical Commission to achieve the necessary historical regulatory approvals of the plan.

The landscape architects created a physical plan that divided the site into four project components: "Museum Green", "Midway", "Fair Park Boulevard" and "Historic Core". The plan provided for the "greening of Fair Park" by replacing surface parking with underground parking, creating outdoor passive and active activity spaces, and adding recreational fields. Landscaping at parking areas will create "rooms" and the additional permeable areas will solve some of the problems associated with an insufficient storm drainage system. An in-park shuttle system and continued historic restorations would support additional visitation. Vehicular and pedestrian circulation improvements were suggested, modifications were proposed to Cullum Boulevard and a new Fair Park Boulevard, on the north side of the park, were included in the Plan.

In addition to a physical plan, program and marketing objectives were developed to position Fair Park as a new and improved park that offers year-round activities and attractions for all ages and interests that extends the stay of visitors and encourages repeat visits. The "Seasons of Fair Park" was the marketing strategy, which provides for programming of the park according to the seasons throughout the year. A year-round marketplace was proposed to attract visitors. A joint marketing program for all the institutions was recommended and has already been implemented. Financing of such large and complex projects is always a challenge, so an implementation strategy was developed for the four projects that identified funding from multiple sources. Being so ambitious, the Plan was prioritized into phases and cost estimates were provided for the various components. The first phase of implementation, improvements to the Lagoon and the entries at MILK and Cullum Boulevards, is in design at this time.

The Landscape Architect studied stewardship models from similar properties around the country to determine what would best serve Fair Park, The Plan recommended that the "Fair Park Forum" serve as an advocacy group for the implementation of the Development Plan and the park in general.

IMPACT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT ON THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OR SURROUNDINGS

The City is currently in the process of amending the Fair Park Historic Ordinance to coordinate the regulations with the recommendations of the Comprehensive Development Plan. A new Texas Music Museum is already proposed for the Hall of Religions building. Attention to the needs of the Fair Park institutions will give the campus of cultural and historical museums the opportunity to expand and prosper in a more park-like setting. The Plan provides the State Fair of Texas, whose net revenues fund many of the improvements at Fair Park, a clear direction for their future projects.

Fair Park is a significant economic generator to Dallas with over 7,000,000 annual visitors, one-half of whom attend the 21-day State Fair of Texas. By improving the visitor experience, attendance will increase and be more evenly distributed throughout the year. The length of stay will be extended and the visitor's experience more satisfying. This will create a positive economic impact for the city.

SPECIAL OR UNIQUE SOLUTIONS TO UNUSUAL PROBLEMS OR BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS

The Landscape Architect addressed physical, economic, programming, environmental, connectivity, and perception problems by studying precedents, analyzing existing conditions to understand all the pertinent issues, and engaging the community in conversations to assess their vision of the future of Fair Park. The "greening" of the park; addition and improvements of fountains; building expansion framework for museums; sustainable storm water solutions; parking solutions, marketing plan; re-configuring of Cullum to improve circulation and connectivity to the neighborhood while increasing the park's land area; the financing plan; and advocacy recommendations offered creative solutions for this complex and challenging site. The proposed plan will serve as the blueprint for development of the park for future decades.