Public push begins on Dallas election to fund new convention center, Fair Park work

Dallas may not be able to make a significant dent in catching up on long-neglected maintenance needs of some of its most visited Fair Park venues unless voters approve a hotel occupancy tax increase in November, prominent supporters of the election proposition said Friday.

The 2% increase in the amount of taxes the city charges on room rentals is estimated to bring in $1.5 billion over 30 years mainly to help pay for building a new downtown convention center, but up to $300 million of that could go to six Fair Park sites.

The convention center rebuild will go forward no matter the result at the polls, they say, but ways to revitalize the Cotton Bowl, the Coliseum, Automobile Building, Centennial Building, Music Hall and Band Shell at Fair Park get more murky.

“There is nothing as powerful, catalytic and urgent because this is a limited-time offer, folks,” said Brian Luellan, CEO of Fair Park First, a nonprofit that oversees the management of the 277-acre South Dallas site.

He told council members in August when they approved adding the proposition to the Nov. 8 ballot that it would cost $600 million just to fully rehab the six venues. The site has more than 35 historic buildings, all in various stages of disrepair.

If voters reject the hotel tax increase, Luallen said the window to use the option would close by the end of next year and revenue bonds would be the next best plan.

“The challenge with that is there is always such a great need and it ends up spread over an entire city,” he said. It was one of the reasons why Fair Park has so many venues in need of rehab, he added.

A Friday news conference marked the unofficial kick off of a public campaign to make the case to voters for why they should care about a plan largely expected to boost some of Dallas’ largest tourist attractions focused near the center of the city.