Big Development to Bring Changes on Henderson Avenue in Dallas

Big changes are happening in many older Dallas neighborhoods and one of them is the area along Henderson Avenue east of Central Expressway.

A big development is set to break ground this summer for an even larger transformation of the older street.

Henderson is already an eclectic collection of businesses with neighborhood services by day, and bars and restaurants by night.

Brett Montgomery has been renting a home for two years in the neighborhood and he said he likes the changes he’s seen.

He spoke in front of a food and beverage business under major renovation.

“There’s been a lot of new stuff, a lot of new bars and restaurants. You can see that this is getting redone too, so it’s cool,” he said.

One daytime service business, Knox Street Postal Center, moved to the Henderson side of Central Expressway in 2016 to take advantage of the boom.

Manager Mike Frankel said he has lived in the area for many years.

“The neighborhood is completely different, from traffic to businesses to residences, everything is different around here,” he said.

On a large vacant tract adjacent to the postal center, NBC5 media partner The Dallas Morning News reported last month that an even bigger change is about the take shape with groundbreaking expected this summer.

Renderings show a multi-level commercial development with a row of businesses filling the space, all part of a bigger investment in the neighborhood.

A New York-based firm called Acadia Realty Trust paid $85 million for the vacant land along with existing commercial buildings along Henderson.

Dallas City Councilman Jesse Moreno who represents most of the Henderson strip said Acadia is now the largest land owner there.

Mike Frankel said he has been waiting to see the big new development happen. He had a copy of the Dallas Morning News article on his counter.

“It’s going to be neat to see. The neighborhood has been wanting it for a long time, I think. I know we have business owners. And so we’re waiting for the change to happen,” he said.

Some long-time homeowners adjacent to the commercial land along Henderson opposed the city zoning changes approved years ago that permit the development finally about to happen now.

“Probably if you owned a home, it could cause a little bit of a headache. But it’s definitely cool to see new stuff going in,” Montgomery said.

The neighborhood has struggled with issues like parking as commercial development increased.

Acadia Realty did not return calls but Councilman Moreno confirmed the project is expected to get underway soon.