"Lord, Please Come on Over to West Dallas. In Your Name We Pray."

• Fixed it -- thanks for the catch.

• Amen to that.  Go dawgs, sic um, woof woof woof!

• That's all window dressing and puffery.  Wait till you see what really happens when the rubber hits the road.  When the big developers get involved, money will pass hands and the process will change.  What would I know about condemnation and eminent domain?  My father is one of the foremost experts in the State, worked in the Dallas City Atty's office for 17 years and has continued to consult with cities for another 17 yrs.  I myself have substantial training in real estate appraisal and sales. Don't get distracted by the puffery and window dressing, once the money comes to the party, they will dictate the process.  There is no way to grow and develop that neighborhood with the severe poverty there.  There is no way the city planners want those shotgun shacks and their inhabitants to remain.  They are a hindrance to the city's and moneyed interests.  I've been used by a developer to discuss the glorious flora of an area to get council members to think the developer's vision is greener than it was.  (I was hoping to force the developer into a bit of a spot, and hoped that some compromise in favor of protecting the most sensitive and special spots.)  Take the standing wave.  Evidently, the "as built" result differed from the designer/engineers plans enough that the city is on their own.  There is no way that the city would have to pay, if they'd followed the engineer's specs.  There is always changes from the design to what is built--and guess what the greatest factor influencing those changes are?  Economics.  Allow me to restate, once the big money comes to the table, the process will change.  I could be wrong, but then again, we might wake up tomorrow with peace in the Middle East, carnivores will be vegetarian and politicians will ignore the rich and powerful to serve the wishes of the poor.  I dare say, your utopian assumptions that the poor Mexican families that populate the area will be considered is a liberal fantasy.  I'm as progressive as the next guy, but I'm not delusional.  It doesn't matter what I say.  (It doesn't matter what the design studio wants) We will see. 

• By the way, to the writer, the woman who gave the blessing was Rev. Jackie Love PRIM, not PIMM.

• JG prim below is correct. Scottindallas obviously does not remotely know what he is talking about. The CityDesign Studio Plan development included more than 30 meetings with the "denizens" you refer to, and in those meetings probably 150+ denizens participated. The plan calls for exactly the small, incremental change you mention, including the complete preservation of La Bajada neighborhood in its entirety. You really hurt your credibility dude when you show your knee-jerk reaction to something without first doing your homework about it. You're showing bias -- which I thought you LIBERALS werent supposed to have. Prim is right -- what's been happening in West Dallas has not happened anywhere in Dallas in the past 50 years. Get up to speed dude.

• Let me suggest that you visit the West Dallas Chamber of Commerce website where you can obtain information regarding the process and progress over the past two years.  It will obviously surprise some as to the tremendous amount of community - persons living and working in West Dallas -- input and involvement that has been garnered and continues to be utilized by developers.  The skepticism is understandable, but the process thus far is unlike any other I've witnessed in my half-century in Dallas.  Before you shake you head, check it out.  You may be plesantly surprised.

• the question is how does that development happen?  organically or in broad, command economy moves.

• nowhere in their conception of the neighborhood are the denizens considered or included.  To them it's real estate, not a neighborhood.  I suggested that we would see a global condemnation of the area, eminent domain powers will wrest property from the owners (rental landlords) for a few developers who have the cash to lobby the horseshoe for their plans. Development there should be more gradual, allowing some owners to cash out early, others to wait and enjoy the rise.  But, that would only cost the developers more money, so I think we'll see the whole area condemned and redeveloped by a few.  I make many liberal arguments, but I don't support gov't coming to the aid of private developers, whether downtown or anywhere.  I'd rather the city pave sidewalks with gold than give one penny to a private developer.  (again, common infrastructure improvements are fine--even that accursed bridge, but we enter a slippery slope when gov't lifts a finger to help private firms.

• Have you been to the Belmont Bar?

• Unless the Lord needs used tires and is hungry for street tacos, there's little for him to do in West Dallas. But the rest of us should hope for economic development there.

TotalComments: 10