Historical Park reports $128,270 in revenue for FY22–23; Venue 1842 nears completion

Historical Park staff reported to the advisory board on Jan. 25 that fiscal-year 2022–23 revenue totaled about $128,270, down roughly 19% (about $30,000) from the prior year as the department reduced programming to match staff capacity.

The presenter said rental revenue for the year was a little over $20,000 and that staff completed approximately $140,000 worth of restoration and maintenance work in the final quarter, including a full exterior restoration of the caboose, porch restorations on Queen Anne houses and work on the McKee addition. “We completed five major historic-structure repairs in that final quarter,” the presenter said, noting interior flooring repairs in the church tied to water runoff and schedules timed to avoid disrupting tours.

The board also heard an update on Venue 1842, the city’s new event center. Staff said construction is progressing on both the interior and exterior and that no grand-opening date is set yet. The first official rental is scheduled for May 4 for an RL Turner class reunion; staff said bookings are already coming in and the venue will accommodate both small and larger rentals when it opens.

Board members and staff discussed plans for a thoughtful grand opening, including a historical display recognizing long-time supporters, pins or commemorative bricks, and coordination with the city’s marketing team and an outside media company. Staff said they will work with the city manager’s office and the event manager to finalize logistics.

Staff framed the revenue decline as intentional and linked to program scaling. “We scaled back a bit with our programming,” the presenter said, adding that the changes freed staff to complete deferred maintenance and restoration projects so the park’s buildings will be fully restored when the event center opens.

The board was also told about recent recognition: the park and its programs received regional and state awards from Texas Recreation and Park Society and DFW-area awards for arts and programming. The presenter said staff will provide a short Q1 update next month and that the department is monitoring bookings and setting fee schedules in coordination with the city council’s approved user-fee schedule.

The advisory board did not take legislative action on the report; staff will return with further updates and calendar details.