Cotton Bowl Stadium to undergo largest renovation in its 94 years. What's changing?

On Thursday, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and Fair Park First will soon begin the most comprehensive renovation of the legendary Cotton Bowl Stadium.

The groundbreaking marks the beginning of a two-year, $140-million project to upgrade the historic 94-year-old venue. The project is part of the largest financial investment in Fair Park during the 137-year history of the fairgrounds.

According to city officials, the project aims to preserve the legacy and heritage of the landmark stadium, while establishing its future as the incomparable outdoor venue in Texas.

"You know, it's one of the signature elements, in my opinion, in the entire city -- the iconic Cotton Bowl," said Ryan O'Connor, Assistant Director of Partnership & Strategic Initiatives for Dallas Park & Recreation. "So it's important that we continue to treasure it, invest in it and to make sure it's got a great future."

The highly anticipated renovations focus on enhancements to the visitor experience including:

• The addition of 14 new escalators
• Construction of new multi-story entries at the two west entrance gates
• The upper west concourse will be increased to three times the current square footage and include two outdoor terraces with views of downtown Dallas.
• The main concourse on the west side of the stadium will be doubled in size, featuring new art deco artwork to augment the venue’s classic style.
• Restrooms and concession stands will get a makeover and more will be added
• Creation of new premium seating environments and a newly expanded press area in the South endzone
• Improving the in-stadium Wi-Fi signal

Other renovations are planned for the surrounding Fair Park, including a privately funded Community Park Complex and upgrades to the Music Hall at Fair Park and the African-American Museum.

The venue projects will be funded by the Brimer Bill as part of 2022's Proposition A referendum.

"This is the first cog in the wheel of a greater mechanism, providing funding for the future of the campus," said Darren L. James, Fair Park First board president in a press release in the fall. "Unlike previous renovations, which centered around increasing capacity, this project amplifies the fan experience for everyone who visits Fair Park. We are committed to steward this project collectively, creating a catalyst to the Fairground's future economic impact on the surrounding neighborhood and region."

Dallas city leaders said these changes are long overdue, especially as Dallas grows and gears up to host big sporting events like the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

"So the real thinking here is that it's important to make these improvements to not only maintain the kind of historic games that are played there but also to make the stadium more marketable for additional events that we're interested in attracting like soccer matches or concerts," said O'Connor. "So the intent of the investment is to position the stadium for success going forward."

O'Connor said they also want to maintain the history of the stadium and surrounding Fair Park that has made the area so iconic.

"You may not know that Fair Park is the largest collection of Art Deco structures anywhere in the world. So it's important for us to kind of always remember that. And when we're making changes and improvements to the building to be sensitive to that," said O'Connor. "It's a national historic landmark. It's not only important to us at the city, but it's important to a ton of folks in the city that everyone is aligned to ensure it continues to look great while preserving the history that's been a part of that place for so many years."

Overland Partners is the lead in designing renovations for the stadium, in collaboration with McAfee3 Architects, Modus and Norman Alston Architects.

The two-year restoration will be conducted in two phases, allowing the stadium to host annual events without interruption during the 2024 State Fair of Texas, the Red River Rivalry, and the Grambling/Prairie View games.

Renovations are scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2025 State Fair of Texas.