Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings Tuesday released the fourth annual assessment of his “Grow South” initiative to spur improvement in Southern Dallas.
This year, Rawlings’ program scored all A's and B’s in the ten point plan.
“These are the best grades we’ve gotten in these four years,” Rawlings said.
The area south of downtown and the Trinity River has plenty of room for new development and far lower property values than Northern Dallas. Rawlings made Southern Dallas a priority for his administration from the start.
Rawlings said ‘Grow South’ has helped spur tremendous progress, but there is much more to do.
Invited guests came to hear the mayor’s assessment at the Alamo Draft House, which recently opened on South Lamar Street. The assessment graded progress on Lamar Street and the downtown area with an “A.”
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Also receiving “A’s” were strengthening neighborhoods, debunking myths about Southern Dallas and West Dallas progress.
“It has to do with economic growth. That’s what’s happening in Southern Dallas. That’s what I’m most pleased about,” Rawlings said. “$1.5 billion of value has been created in Southern Dallas. Property values are up 28 percent.”
The assessment gave B-minus grades to strengthening schools, the Lancaster Corridor, Jefferson Boulevard and the Education Corridor near The University of North Texas Dallas Campus.
Some people attending the presentation had different views about the scores.
City Councilman Erik Wilson, who represents far Southern Dallas Council District 8, said he agrees progress has been made, but he would have given lower marks.
Farmers Market area property owner Jim Ingendorf said the Tent City homeless camp under the Interstate 45 overpasses that was finally closed by the city on Tuesday shows there is much more work to do.
Building 1,500 new single family homes in Southern Dallas the next few years is a future goal of the program.
The mayor said new private ownership of Southwest Center Mall was a major accomplishment in 2015. The new owner has big improvement plans for the mall and the land around it near Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 67.
