OK, back to Fair Park, but only to ask: Why didn't the Museum of the American Railroad ever leave Fair Park for Frisco? That's what the city wants to know almost two years after the museum "entered into a formal letter of agreement with the City of Frisco to relocate to that city," per its long-ago press release announcing the move to its heritage park.
City Hall's been waiting for the whoo-whoo ever since.
Which is why on Tuesday it filed suit in State District Court, demanding the railroad museum vacant the premises immediately. The press release announcing the suit lauds the ol' Age of Steam shrine's contributions to the city ("The City has long-valued the work done by the Museum to educate and entertain the public"), but tsks-tsks its proprietors at the same time ("However, the City is disappointed that it must resort to the legal system to regain possession of its property"). The city's 13-page application for an injunction is after the jump. But this excerpt:
The City has provided the Museum with a reasonable amount of time in which to relocate to Frisco. However, the Museum has failed to vacate the Property. In addition, the Museum has refused to provide the City with a date when it will vacate the Property.I've tried calling the museum all morning, but no one answers. (Update: Museum director Bob LaPrelle is not available for comment till later this afternoon.)
The City desires to utilize the Property as a part of the State Fair grounds prior to the 2010 State Fair of Texas. This prompted the City to advise the Museum that it needed to vacate the Property by August of 2010 so that the City could utilize the Property for the State Fair. The City needs sufficient time to have the site cleared and made ready for use as part of the State Fair or for other purposes. The City is prevented from doing so since the Museum has failed to vacate the Property and has failed to give the City a specific date when the move will occur.
