State Fair News

Fair Park Dallas selects Calif design firm to turn parking lot into park

They're going to turn a parking lot into a park.

Photo courtesy of Fair Park First

A renowned landscape architect firm from California has been selected to design a new community park at Fair Park, the 277-acre National Historic Landmark in Dallas that's home to the State Fair of Texas.

Studio-MLA, a Los Angeles-based firm founded by landscape guru Mia Lehrer, will design a new Community Park to replace a 1,000-space parking lot. The studio won the appointment from a field of 30 applicants, following a nationwide search launched in June 2020. Dallas loves a nationwide search.

The 11-acre park is the first project to come out of the Fair Park Master Plan Update, which recently received the Unbuilt Dream/Study Award from the Greater Dallas Planning Council.

According to a release, Studio-MLA's presentation showed an innovative approach that won over community stakeholders and Fair Park's leadership team alike. The decision was made by Fair Park First, Spectra, and Biederman Redevelopment Ventures (BRV)—the management and operations team of Fair Park.

Completed Studio-MLA projects include Natural History Museum's Nature Gardens in Los Angeles, and the revitalization of the Los Angeles River. Lehrer is an advocate for protecting and preserving urban waterways and also a proponent of green schoolyards.

The planned Community Park design will likely include:

large lawn
children's play area with an interactive water feature
naturalized plantings
remembrance gardens
small pavilion for gatherings
movable tables and chairs

The park will also provide free programming for children, adults, and seniors. A typical calendar of events during a week might include fitness classes, small musical performances, art workshops, drum circles, a reading room, and outdoor movies.

Studio-MLA is part of a core team that also includes Dallas landscape architects Studio Outside, internationally award-winning architect Allison Grace Williams, FAIA, and Dallas-based architects and historical narrative storytellers building community WORKSHOP.

It doesn't stop there. Sub-consultants experts include Fluidity for fountain design; Essential Light; CRTKL for graphics and wayfinding; JQ Engineers for Structural, Civil, and stormwater innovation strategies; Terracon for Environmental Engineering; MEPCE for M/E/P Engineering, Hines irrigation consultants; and Project Resources Group for cost consultation.

BRV president Dan Biederman, who gained national prominence for his transformation of New York City's Bryant Park, says that "the creation of the Community Park is a step towards reawakening a sleeping giant in South Dallas."

"Parks and green spaces with community-curated, daily programs and amenities can create catalytic change," Biederman says. "Parks with daily free programming can grow the local economy, drive tourism, connect communities, create a sense of place, improve public health, provide safety, and protect the city's most important natural places. The Community Park will be just that - a park for the community."

Fair Park First's mission is to restore, revitalize, and renew Fair Park to attract attention from across the region and the country.

parks state-fair

Public announcement

City of Dallas seeks public input for future of City Hall and nearby land

Courtesy photo

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The City of Dallas is inviting the public to give input on the future of City Hall and its surrounding property. The full text of the announcement and instructions, posted on the city's website, is below:

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As part of the Dallas City Council’s request for additional information on options for Dallas City Hall, the community is invited to take part in a “Open Call for Concepts.” Residents, businesses leaders, and developers can share their perspectives on the future of Dallas City Hall and nearby properties. The city is seeking input on potential adaptive reuse of the existing Dallas City Hall building as well as redevelopment opportunities for the broader site including adjacent acreage and land that will become available following the redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

The results of the Open Call for Concepts will be included in Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert’s report to the Dallas City Council in May regarding options for City Hall’s future.

“As we consider the future of Dallas City Hall and the surrounding site, I want every resident to know that their voice matters,” said Tolbert. “We’re inviting residents, developers, and planners to share bold, creative, and practical ideas so that whatever path we choose reflects shared priorities and delivers the greatest benefit to the people of Dallas.”

Participants can access the Open Call for Concepts page via the City’s homepage at Dallas.gov or directly at dal.city/CHAnalysis. Responses are due by 2 pm May 3, 2026. Once submissions are reviewed, City staff will present updates to the City Council.

To ensure community voices guide the process, the Office of Communications and Customer Experience/311 (CCX) is also conducting a statistically valid public survey through ZenCity, a leader in civic sentiment analytics. The survey will begin Wednesday, April 8 and will be available for approximately six weeks to collect meaningful input on priorities for Dallas’ government center.

public input survey city hall