Protect Dallas PD 714

Fort Worth Avenue Corridor Zoning

 

The Belmont Hotel


PD 714’s Staple Business

To many, the Belmont Hotel is the heart of West Dallas. Its reopening brought hip hangouts to an under-developed area of West Dallas.

During its renovation in 2005, a Special Purpose Zoning District (PD 714) was created by Dallas City Council to guide the land use and development of the Fort Worth Avenue Corridor.

At the West Dallas Neighborhood Coalition, we believe PD 714 is outdated and is no longer sufficient to achieve its original goals. As one of our initiatives, we’re actively pursuing its revision by Dallas City Council.

 

Goals of PD 714


Create A Vibrant, Mixed Use Neighborhood

As the commercial development of West Dallas became an inevitability, PD 714 was established to strengthen the existing residential neighborhoods and help to create a pedestrian-friendly environment.

Its mandate is to preserve downtown views from and be sensitive to the existing single-family neighborhood adjacent to the district, as well as to preserve historic buildings.

Commercial real estate developers and agents are flaunting this mandate, proposing the construction of buildings that would be detrimental to historic single family neighborhoods, and threaten access to affordable housing. See this proposed high-rise residential construction at 1007 Folsom Street for an example.

At the West Dallas Neighborhood Coalition, we will take an ardent stand against any development or land use that does not respect the spirit of PD 714. It’s time for giant commercial developers to think about the community before they build.

We believe our local politicians can do more to engage with the community in the development of our neighborhood. See our local politician’s page for contacts.

Vacant Retail

PD 714 allows developers to build high-density, luxury apartment complexes as long as a ratio of retail-to-residential space is met. These developers, however, are only concerned with occupying high-priced residential units. As a result, much of the newly developed retail space sits vacant.

The commerce street corridor within PD 714 offers a unique opportunity to develop a walkable retail district similar to South Congress in Austin, however, developers and politicians are neglecting the community by allowing it to be empty.

At the West Dallas Neighborhood Coalition, we’re working with our local politicians to help increase retail ocupancy. We believe that incentives should be provided to small businesses, with a focus on supporting minority and LGBTQ-owned retail.