Parks board approves licensing deal for MoneyGram fields after partner agrees to fund lighting for two pitches

The Dallas Parks and Recreation Board on June 5 approved a senior license and lease arrangement with a professional sports partner for use of five fields at the MoneyGram athletic complex, and adopted an amendment requiring the partner to fund lighting for at least two of those fields.

The board’s amendment was proposed by board member Mister Dickie and seconded during the meeting; the amended motion passed on an oral “aye” vote. The motion as read at the meeting described a multi‑year arrangement with one‑year renewal options and an overall not‑to‑exceed financing figure of $3,000,000 over three years, with estimated minimum revenue to City funds listed in the motion (Fair Park special maintenance fund $900,000 and athletic complex $1,300,000 over three years). The contract language and the partner’s name were discussed in closed session prior to the vote and were read into the public record at the meeting.

Why it mattered: board members and public speakers said the deal offers revenue that parks staff can use to support core programs but raised questions about field access and whether unlit fields would meet community needs. Tournament organizers and partners told the board that the MoneyGram fields host high‑level events and bring economic activity to Dallas; county and city staff said revenues and existing reserve balances would be used to add lighting and other improvements.

Board discussion and clarifications: several board members asked whether the five fields included in the agreement were lit. A parks staff member said there is a plan to use money already in an athletic complex fund and a portion of revenue from the contract to add lighting, and that lighting the fields would be a top capital priority. The staff estimate cited at the meeting was roughly $200,000 to light a single field, which led board members to point out that lighting five fields could total about $1,000,000. Staff said there is approximately $400,000–$500,000 currently in the Athletic Complex Fund (referred to in the meeting as the “mountain fork Athletic Complex Fund”) that could pay to light some of the fields immediately, with the remainder to be funded from contract revenues.

Public commenters and partners: Andy Swift, speaking as a tournament representative, described MoneyGram as a “crown jewel” facility used for international and national events and urged the board to maintain the high level of maintenance the tournaments expect. Ryan O'connor, identified in the meeting as a parks department official working on revenue and partnerships, told the board the department has been asked to increase earned revenue and reduce operating expenses: “we are constantly searching to reduce expenses [and] bring in more revenue so that we can financially go into a lot of our core programming,” O'connor said.

Financial terms discussed at the meeting included a guaranteed payment element described as “$100,000 or 15%, whichever is greater” plus an even split on naming‑rights revenue; staff told the board that the tenant would incur all operational expenses under the proposed deal and the city would not carry those operating costs. Board members requested a final implementation schedule to ensure lighting and access commitments would be completed quickly once a contract is executed.

Next steps and implementation: the amendment requires the partner to fund lighting for at least two fields; staff said they will use existing fund balances and contract revenues to light additional fields as soon as possible. The board did not provide a detailed construction timeline during the public discussion; staff said they would follow up with specifics on timing and with the facility master plan that had been prepared for the site.

Votes at a glance: the board adopted the licensing/lease motion as amended (oral vote; tally not recorded in the transcript). No individual roll‑call vote was recorded in the meeting transcript provided.