Science Place Foundation asks board to evaluate historic Fair Park building and report back within 60 days

Evan Stewart, cofounder and director of the Science Place Foundation and a lifelong Dallas County resident, asked the board to direct staff to evaluate stabilization of a 100,000-square-foot historic building that formerly housed the Science Place and to report back within 60 days.

Stewart said his foundation has collected archival research and eyewitness testimony that tie the site’s decline to organizational changes after 2007 and that the foundation has conducted architectural and mechanical assessments suggesting the building could be a “very good candidate for reactivation.” He asked staff to consider the building for near-term funding in the department’s capital plan.

Why it matters: Stewart argued that reactivating the building as an interactive science and technology center would restore Fair Park’s cultural assets and increase year-round public use of the park. He offered that his foundation would submit a formal proposal and again asked the board to direct staff to evaluate scope and cost and to report back in 60 days.

Board response and next steps: The board received Stewart’s request during the public-comment period; staff did not announce a formal vote on stabilization funding at this meeting. Board members noted the request and will consider the foundation’s materials as part of staff planning and capital budgeting discussions.

Source attribution: Stewart spoke on behalf of the Science Place Foundation and specifically asked the board to “direct staff to immediately evaluate stabilization and report back within 60 days on scope and cost and consider it for near term funding in the next half of plan.”