Dallas city leaders say they have a blueprint for future growth for an area that is the size of Atlanta.
The Southern Sector Task Force, which was appointed by the mayor, issued a report Tuesday after 10 months of work by about 250 members.
"Instead of the city telling the community what to do, we’ve got the community and the private developers telling us, 'These are our needs,'” said Councilman Tennell Atkins, who headed the task force.
The report deals with 10 separate neighborhood areas and several other issues, such as financing.
Dallas leaders say the city’s best opportunity for future development is the large quantity of vacant land in the southern sector, a region the size of Atlanta.
“We’re a blank canvas; we’ve got all the land," Atkins said. "We can learn from other people that made the mistakes."
The University of North Texas Dallas campus at Camp Wisdom and Houston School roads is expected to one day attract 25,000 students, more than 10 times the number currently attending classes there. And the Dallas Inland Port project south of Interstate 20 could attract 50,000 jobs in the future.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
New homes and businesses will be needed to support the growth, residents already living there want more basic services such as grocery stores, the report said.
The task force suggested several new locations for retail development.
Atkins said he hopes developers will pay for some neighborhood improvements and ease the burden on City Hall.
The full report is available online at: www.southerndallas.org.
