Phase I Design Work Complete on The Park of East Texas

TYLER — The Park of East Texas, Inc., has completed design work on Phase I of the planned entertainment complex known as The Park of East Texas. Park officials term the move a significant step toward fulfilling the vision set forth by the former East Texas State Fair Association board of directors.

“The Park, as it has come to be known, is an entertainment and conference development located in west Tyler. The Phase I plan includes an event center, meeting rooms, exhibit space and ballrooms. The event center will have 4,500 fixed seats with the ability to increase to 8,000 when floor seating is utilized,” said John E. Sykes, President and CEO of The Park of East Texas, Inc. “To accommodate the needs of local education institutions, business development and the growing economy, the board of directors of The Park of East Texas, Inc. initiated a search for a design team to establish a master plan for The Park. The search led to a collaborative effort between Tyler-based firm Ron Mabry Architects and GH2 Equestrian Architects of Oklahoma.”

The need for such a development has been explored in the Tyler community for decades; the recent findings of The Industry Growth Initiative and a local survey by the Tyler Convention and Visitors’ Bureau have reiterated the desire from the community for such a development. “The configuration of Phase I is now complete. In a cooperative endeavor with local entities, the first phase is being broken into sub-phases to best meet the needs of the community in the most efficient manner,” continued Sykes. Lonny Uzzell, Board of Directors Treasurer, says he recognizes the importance a project such as The Park can and will mean to the community. “A project of this scale will have significant impact on the local economy and will require a public/private partnership to commence construction,” says Uzzell.

Officials say The Park of East Texas will attract national tours, conventions and tradeshows in addition to national and regional equestrian events. They say The Park will create commerce for Tyler and East Texas through the development process and as the complex is utilized for various events. Phase I economic impact during construction is predicted to generate over $50 million according to an economic impact study prepared by Impact DataSource from Austin, Texas.