Trinity Groves redevelopment plans raise questions about West Dallas’ future

This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed to insiders. To become one, sign up here for free.

Editor’s note: Yesterday’s email incorrectly identified the late community champion Felix Lozada as Felix Lozada Garcia, which is his daughter Maria’s last name. (And yes, we realize the unintentional comedic irony of pointing out that Lozada’s name was misspelled in the new Trinity Groves plans and then getting it wrong ourselves.)

Since the foundation of our work is truth, transparency and trust, we believe it is only right to share this mistake and correction with the hundreds of you who read and forwarded our newsletter yesterday (thank you!). Our work is meaningless if it isn’t trusted by our neighbors and readers, and part of earning your trust means holding ourselves to the same standards of truth-telling and transparency to which we hold others.

This correction email also gives us the opportunity to share an important story just published by our media partners at D Magazine on a new program that will offset the cost of property tax increases for legacy West Dallas neighbors, led by community-anchored nonprofits Builders of Hope and Wesley-Rankin Community Center. Read it here.

And if you didn’t have a chance to finish reading this West Dallas newsletter yesterday, we hope you’ll take time today or over the weekend.

—Keri Mitchell
Dallas Free Press founder + executive director

Rooftop pools. A “Trinity Groves Central Park.” High-rise residential buildings. Two hotels.

We’re still poring over the plans that Goldenrod Companies, who bought Trinity Groves in 2023, submitted to the City of Dallas Urban Design Peer Review Panel. At first glance, however, the future looks nothing like the West Dallas that currently exists.

View the plans for yourself here, the panel’s recommendations here, and watch the meeting video here. We welcome your questions as we continue reporting.

The plans point to a “Phase 1” and future phases, but there’s no proposed timeline and no official stamp of approval to move forward. The presentation to the Urban Design Peer Review Panel is an initial step.

The nine volunteer panel members are tasked by the City to “provide timely, consistent and effective urban design advice” for certain projects, including those in tax increment financing (TIF) districts that receive tax incentives for investing in “under-performing real estate.” The City’s Sports Arena TIF is what originally spurred the development of Trinity Groves in West Dallas.

The panel’s 13 design recommendations start with community.

Recommendation no. 1 “advises that community engagement be prioritized with a robust effort to welcome input and gain community support for the project.”

Recommendation no. 3 “advises the development team to research and understand the history of West Dallas and use that knowledge to inform the project’s overall design. Special attention should be given to integrating and protecting the strong art community, culture, and history of the area to elevate the project it [sic] make it a more rich and unique development.”

Right now, the plans don’t name the historical neighborhood of La Bajada, don’t appear to reflect the work of many community residents to keep a 400-foot office tower from being constructed next to La Bajada, and misspell the gateway park named for the late La Bajada community champion as “Feliz” Lozada. (It’s Felix Lozada.)