Tracking South Dallas’ 2017 Bond: Elsie Faye, Exline & more
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South Dallas was promised a few big ticket items from the 2017 bond election.
- A $2 million resurfacing of Elsie Faye Higgins from Central Expressway to Meadow
- A $1.9 million investment in streets, sidewalks and lighting in the Park Row/South Boulevard and Fair Park Estates neighborhoods
- A $13.2 million new aquatic center to replace the Exline Pool
- A $975,155 allocation to update MLK Community Center facilities
We’ve compiled all 31 of the 2017 bond projects in South Dallas’ 75215 and 75210 zip codes in an easy-to-access spreadsheet from our recent story that examines the original plans and what actually happened, especially in light of Dallas City Council’s recent decisions about a 2024 bond package at this week’s meeting.
The thing about bond programs is that they’re not set in stone. Local governments create a list of infrastructure priorities, based on community feedback and put on a ballot by local elected officials. Then voters have the final say. If City Council authorizes a 2024 bond package, it will go before Dallas voters in May.
But even if voters approve a bond package, things change. Budgets don’t always cover the costs, as we can see from several South Dallas 2017 bond projects that increased in cost over time, like new sidewalks in Park Row/South Boulevard and Fair Park Estates.
Sometimes projects are canceled with funds reallocated to other projects, like the money for a basketball court at Willie Mae Butler Park that instead went to a new playground equipment, or funds for improvements at several South Dallas parks reallocated to Lakeland Park in East Dallas.
And sometimes, bond dollars can be reallocated for priorities that weren’t even part of the original package. The $4.2 million for economic development projects in Mill City, Jeffries-Meyers and Bonton weren’t on the horizon in 2017.
Take a look at the finished and yet-to-be-finished projects from 2017 then ask yourself: What other updates does my community need for its streets, alleys, parks, facilities, sidewalks and drainage? Then call or email Councilman Adam Bazaldua’s office to weigh in.
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Keri Mitchell has spent 20+ years as a community journalist, including 15 years dedicated to community and civic journalism at Dallas’ Advocate magazines. She launched Dallas Free Press in early 2020 with the belief that all neighborhoods deserve reporting and storytelling that values their community and holds leaders accountable.
Mitchell says she is energized by “knowing our work is making an impact — listening to people, telling their stories with strong narratives paired with compelling data that leads to change. I also love spending time in our neighborhoods and with our neighbors, learning from them and working to determine how journalism can be part of the solution to their challenges.”
Mitchell is proud to be the winner of multiple awards during her journalism career including: Finalist in Magazine Feature Reporting (2018) and Finalist in Magazine Investigative Reporting (2017) from Hugh Aynesworth Excellence in Journalism, Best Feature Story (2011) from Texas Community Newspaper Association and Best Magazine Feature (2011) from Dallas Bar Association Philbin Awards.
Areas of Expertise:
local government, education, civic issues, investigative and enterprise reporting
Location Expertise:
Dallas, Texas
Official Title:
Founder + executive director
Email Address:
keri@dallasfreepress.com
