Farmers Branch historical park board outlines event center soft opening, punch list and Aug. dedication

The Farmers Branch Historical Park Board reported progress on the city's new event center on May 16, saying the building is nearing readiness but still requires final inspections and finishing work.

"We do have a soft opening slash wedding at the end of this month," Speaker 2 said, noting the site hosted a well-attended preview. Board members described a schedule of follow-up work: punch-list items and landscaping will start May 28 and continue through the end of July, staff expect a dedication the week of Aug. 5 and bookings to open around Aug. 10. The certificate of occupancy remained pending at the time of the update.

Board members said the preview allowed the public and previous historical park board members to see initial layouts and finishes; they plan a separate recognition event for historical-park stakeholders once all construction items are complete. Speaker 2 recommended postponing earlier-planned VIP events until a later date — she wrote down September as a possible window — to ensure all work and a CO are in place.

No formal action or vote was taken on the update. The board asked staff to monitor the punch-list schedule and landscaping timeline and to bring a status report to a future meeting if dates shift. The next board meeting is scheduled for August, after an intended hiatus in June and July for the venue openings and related programming.