Three area business groups supporting the CityDesign Studio plan for a prime area of West Dallas are holding an information session about that plan for area residents. Their goals ‐ answer questions about the plan and encourage nearby property owners to urge their city councilpersons to approve it when it goes before the Dallas City Council in early March.
The informational session takes place from 6 – 7 p.m., Thu. Feb. 17, at the Salon las Americas at 1004 Fort Worth Avenue. Sponsoring the session are the West Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Avenue Development Group. Representatives of the Fort Worth Avenue TIF board will also be on hand.
At the meeting, the CityDesign Studio will first provide a brief overview of its overall plan for the area. Then, the business groups will briefly explain why they support the plan and provide the audience with the tools they need to ensure its passage by the Dallas City Council. The presenters will then break into small groups so those attending can obtain more details about the plan from the CityDesign Studio or the business community.
The CityDesign Studio plan, 18 months in the making, provides a framework for spurring development to an area bounded by Sylvan Avenue on the west, Interstate 30 on the south and the Trinity River on the north and east. It calls for preserving the La Bajada neighborhood in the north, helping existing buildings to take on new uses (such as cafes and art galleries), creating a dense urban corridor along Herbert Street south of Singleton and focusing new development at nodes throughout the area (including Sylvan Avenue and Fort Worth Avenue and Beckley Avenue and Commerce Street).
A companion report from the business community urges the city council to approve the CityDesign Studio Plan and designate the area the Dallas City Council Urban Innovation Zone. It also asks the council to charge city staff to return in less than six months with a menu of new incentives and changes to current regulations that will help the area becomes a magnet for urban development.
The CityDesign Studio formed in October 2009 as part of a grant to the city of Dallas from the Trinity Trust Foundation. Its work has been overseen by world‐renowned urban planner Larry Beasley, whose previous projects have included urban plans for Vancouver, British Columbia, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The plan is the outgrowth of more than 30 community meetings in West Dallas and Oak Cliff, involving homeowners, business owners, developers and other stakeholders. The meeting is free of charge; however those planning to attend are asked to RSVP at www.westdallaschamber.com.
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Randall White: 214.457.0615, randall.white@elettore.com
Victor Toledo: 214.755.9905, vtoledo62@yahoo.com
Bob Stimson: 214.942.4569, bstimson@oakcliffchamber.org
David Lyles: 214.587.4776, lylesphoto@gmail.com