The design for the Community Park parking garage at Dallas Fair Park has been unveiled.
Located off of Fitzhugh Avenue, the parking garage will provide parking for visitors to Fair Park and accommodate the huge demand for parking during the annual State Fair of Texas with 1,650 parking spaces in a design that focuses health and wellness.
“The design approach envisions the parking garage as an extension of the park, bringing the landscape to the top of the structure and establishing a new public space for the City of Dallas,” says Brian Nicodemus, Design Manager with Gensler, the architecture, design, and planning firm contracted to design the facility. “Leveraging the site’s height and views allows for the creation of flexible areas that can be used for a variety of activities and events.”
Drawing inspiration from natural forms, such as the limestone cuestas common to the region, the garage has a 47-foot ascent leading to the top of the garage, encouraging visitors to spend time outdoors and walk to the floor where their vehicle is parked rather than using the elevator. Blending in with its surroundings, rich colors and texture from the neighboring community drive a vibrant material palette.
“Fair Park First is focused on making sure our investments not only address critical needs but also create enhancements and amenities for our neighbors across the street and our visitors from around the globe,” said Brian Luallen, CEO of Fair Park First.
The garage also includes 70,000 square feet of operational facilities tucked underneath the project’s north berm. By taking cues from the Community Park’s prairie-inspired landscape, the experience between the garage and park is seamlessly woven together, while honoring the rich ecological heritage of the site.
Coordinating the addition of the new parking garage, Fair Park Dallas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization tasked by the City of Dallas in 2019 with the management and stewardship of Fair Park. Fair Park First’s mission is to restore, revitalize, and renew the 277-acre National Historic Landmark through improvements, increased attendance, and improved tenant relations, ultimately sustaining Fair Park for generations to come.
Community Park is a 14-acre park being built within Fair Park as an attempt to bring more green space to the somewhat concrete-intensive environment that has developed in the venue over the decades. Once complete, Community Park can accommodate community festivals, a farmers market, art fairs and other events. Park plans also call for more than an acre of play space for children.
