city of dallas

Cynthia Rogers-Ellickson, the City of Dallas' Director of Housing and Community Development, reflects on her life and legacy of working to provide affordable housing and home repair services to the people of West Dallas.

Long overlooked and plagued by safety concerns, the MLK DART Station has seen little of the investment poured into nearby Fair Park. Now, three commercial property owners — two Black, all local families — control 27 acres around the station. They have benefitted from a grassroots business coalition led by Hank Lawson and believe transit-oriented development could revive local businesses and draw long-overdue attention to South Dallas — even after a recent proposal fell through.

Dallas ISD and City of Dallas officials broke ground on the new Career Institute West, which will provide industry certification programs for high school students to enter the workforce after graduation.

The City of Dallas and local partners are offering over 8,000 free activities for West Dallas teens this summer, including access to recreation centers, arts and entertainment venues, and programs such as open-gym volleyball, yoga classes, and Tae Kwon Do.

Janie Cisneros is suing the City of Dallas for denying her the right to apply for a public hearing to close the GAF shingles plant next to her neighborhood, citing the City's discretionary decision to suspend her right to apply and the City's recent amendment to delete this right from residents and property owners.

Fair Park is set for a "total reset" as the City of Dallas will resume operations and create a new nonprofit to care for the community park, following the termination of the flawed contract with Fair Park First and Oak View Group.

Eva Jones is leading an effort to have the City of Dallas designate her Queen City neighborhood as a historical district, which would help preserve the area's history and stabilize property values, though it could also make it more difficult for current homeowners to repair or sell their homes.

The South Dallas Fair Park Area Plan Task Force is advocating for change in the community, including addressing displacement pressures, preserving the area's cultural identity, and promoting equitable outcomes, with the City Council set to vote on the plan on May 28.

The City of Dallas and the community are working to transform the Martin Luther King Jr. DART Station area into a walkable, mixed-use district featuring mid- and high-rise development, with a focus on retail, restaurants, office, employment, and housing, and prioritizing investments in infrastructure.

Natashia Gerald, a 42-year-old Dallas resident, is running for Dallas ISD District 5 trustee to advocate for effective programs and practices that meet the diverse needs of students in West Dallas.

Byron Sanders, a 20-year education leader and former CEO of Big Thought, is running for Dallas ISD District 5 trustee to ensure that Dallas ISD becomes a model of innovation, equity, and excellence for all students.

Leading up to the May 3 election, Dallas Free Press […]

The City of Dallas approved an $8 million grant for Forest Forward's restoration efforts of the historic Forest Theater Forest Forward.

A proposed code amendment could prevent environmental justice efforts to battle industry polluters, like amortization efforts in West Dallas.

The latest In June members of the Dallas ISD bond […]

Take a look at our spreadsheets to find out what 2017 Dallas bond projects have and have not been completed over the last seven years.

Dallas residents have until January 19th to submit proposed amendments to the city charter, which will be decided on by the Charter Review Commission and voted on in the November election.

This coming November, the people of Dallas will vote not only for the presidential election, but also for proposed amendments to Dallas’ City Charter. Until this Friday, Jan. 19, anyone in Dallas is invited to submit an amendment proposal to be considered for the citywide ballot. Feedback on proposed amendments is welcomed by the CRC and City Council from now through the finalization of amendments before the November election. 

The case of City of Dallas v. Vanesko, heard by the Texas Supreme Court nearly 20 years ago, parallels a current situation in West Dallas' La Bajada neighborhood.

The South Dallas Fair Park Public Improvement District is coming to an end. Property owners of neighborhood homes and businesses advocated against extending the PID for another seven years, saying they didn’t feel the additional tax burden translated to tangible community benefits.

So far, the program has committed roughly $800,000 for about 90 eligible applicants, according to Thor Erickson, area redevelopment manager with the City’s department of housing and neighborhood revitalization. He says the goal was to complete 200 home repair projects and spend the $2 million within an 18-month period.

The city didn’t meet its goal, Jackson says, because applicants are finding the city’s requirements to be too strenuous. In order to qualify for the program, West Dallas residents have to meet a laundry list of demands: make less than $77,900, live in the home as their primary residence, have home insurance, have a clear title and be current on their property taxes and mortgage payments.

After listening to residents in early 2020, the City of Dallas planned to add colorful murals, artificial turf, family grills, playground equipment and more athletic fields to the park in the Los Altos neighborhood, located just south of Anita Martinez Recreation Center and Lorenzo de Zavala Elementary School.

“The more things that we bring in that keep our residents in our community spending their money here, the more we create that ecosystem of a sustainable economy that is going to give back to this community, instead of all of our dollars being spent elsewhere,” says Councilman Adam Bazaldua.