Dallas City Council denies Winners Tower zoning request, citing lack of concrete plan

On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council denied the zoning request for Winners Tower, ending a contentious proposal for a mixed-use development in South Dallas that critics said was excessively incompatible with the area and lacked transparent communication with the community.

The denial comes after more than a year of neighborhood meetings, delayed votes and modifications to the project to try to find a middle ground between the applicants, The Winners Assembly Christian Church, community members and the existing zoning.

District 7 Councilmember Adam Bazaldua said the denial ultimately came down to a lack of a concrete plan from the applicant.

Initially, the Winners Assembly Church requested a zoning change for a massive 25-story mixed-use project with luxury hotel, multifamily and retail uses at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Colonial Avenue. A now-defunct website promoting the project showed the proposed Winners Tower equipped with luxury condos, a bank and a helipad.

When presented with the request last year, city staff reports said the request was inconsistent with the surrounding area, and the City Plan Commission ultimately voted to deny the request.

The applicants then filed an appeal, pushing the item through to Dallas City Council and shifting their proposal to a 10-story building. According to a slideshow presentation during an April community meeting, the project would include a bank, grocery store and office spaces.

Community members were still uncertain about the ‘scaled-down’ plan, as residents were skeptical of how the project would positively impact the neighborhood and asked for concrete data on parking, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

The project would also still be above the recommended height for the area, defying the recent updates to PD 595, a process that was labored over by city staff and community members for years.

An August community meeting quickly became explosive as residents repeatedly asked for concrete plans while developers and supporters emphasized the project’s broader vision and potential economic benefits.

At the Wednesday city council meeting, Bazaldua moved to follow the City Plan Commission’s recommendation of denial. The motion to deny passed unanimously.

Bazaldua said he tried nearly everything he could to find some middle ground, but a lack of concrete design plans put him in a position where he didn’t have “much to fight for.” He said he worried approval could result in land with lenient zoning that then could go up for sale.

“With all the time that has gone by, for us to still not see concrete plans with true renderings and a clear understanding of what the public can expect, I can’t, in good faith, put my neck out on the line for an applicant who hasn’t done their due diligence,” he said.

Watch the city council meeting here.