MLK Station is a South Dallas Fair Park Area Plan focus area

In 2013, the City in partnership with the community produced the MLK DART Station Area plan. That plan suggested that the area around the DART station be developed as a mixed-use area with retail, restaurants, employment centers and housing. The plan details the many reasons why the area is a good location for redevelopment, including its access to the rail line, proximity to Fair Park, and large parcel sizes. The plan suggests the scale of that development include mainly low-rise buildings with potential mid-rise at certain locations.

Since that plan was created, there has been a considerable amount of development of mid-and-high rise residential and mixed use buildings in Deep Ellum and even some proposed across I-30 on Exposition closer to South Dallas. In addition, many property owners around the MLK Station and along Robert B Cullum and JB Jackson have worked to put together an updated vision for the area through the Pointe South Revitalization Group.

Future Vision

Much like the 2013 plan, the future vision for the area is a mixed-use area with retail, restaurants, office, employment and housing. The updated vision includes allowing more mid- to high-rise development in certain areas. The high-rise development should occur close to the MLK station and along Robert B Cullum and JB Jackson. Mid-rise or low-rise development would taper away from the station and from Robert B Cullum and JB Jackson. The new buildings should have active uses on the ground floors and be integrated into the public realm. Public right-of-way and public land, both from DART and City of Dallas, should be examined to understand how it can be best used to achieve the future vision of the area.

The vision for the station area closely matches both the citywide regional and community mixed-use placetypes, which describe both high rise and mid-rise mixed-use areas, respectively.

Recommendations

To achieve the vision of a walkable mixed use area with mid-and high-rise development, the zoning should be reviewed around the MLK station and along Robert B Cullum and JB Jackson.

1. A mixed use subdistrict within Planned Development 595 should be considered that allows for retail, personal service uses, office, restaurant, residential.
2. Development standards that encourage the buildings to be located close to the street, provide active uses on the ground floor, allow mid- to high-rise depending on the placetype, and have no parking minimums should be considered. 
3. In addition to changes in the zoning, the City of Dallas should prioritize investments in infrastructure around the DART MLK Station according to the guidance in this plan and in collaboration with existing property owners, according to the specific locations found in the infrastructure implementation table.

Martin Luther King Jr. DART Station is one of five focus areas in the South Dallas/Fair Park Area Plan. These serve as key areas where efforts and resources should be concentrated to address specific challenges, unlock potential, and stimulate development. These areas were chosen based on their ability to drive meaningful change, such as boosting economic activity, improving community infrastructure, and enhancing quality of life. 

Read about the task force’s vision and recommendations for the other four focus areas:

• 2nd Avenue
• Elsie Faye Heggins Street
• Malcolm X Boulevard Corridor 
• Queen City

This content was pulled directly from the City of Dallas draft of the South Dallas Fair Park Area Plan, pages 39 and 48. Only minor spelling, grammar and punctuation changes were made.