City Council District 7

Accomplishments: Council Member Carolyn Davis

Current Planning

  1. The denial on an SUP for the Colonial Hotel and BDA’s action to terminate the hotel use as of 12/31/08.
  2. Zoning amendments to facilitating the development of Jubilee Park project

Long Range Planning

  1. Draft amendments to the Historic Preservation ordinance to streamline the demolition review process to facilitate code enforcement on neglected properties that are a public health and safety concern. The draft ordinance has cleared the Council Public Safety Committee and will be scheduled for adoption shortly.
  2. Historic review of Fair Park improvements including the Cotton Bowl update, Hall of State improvements, new gates at MLK/Grand, renovation of Texas Discovery Gardens, reconstruction of Esplanade-Parry Avenue
  3. Working with Trinity Office to review and facilitate The Bottom master plan developed by Golden Gate Baptist Church.

The Real Estate Division

  • Acquired property in District 7 for the proposed White Rock Library on Hibiscus Drive off of Ferguson Road.

Mortgage Assistance Program – provided 54 mortgage subsidies to first-time homebuyers

Home Repair Programs – provided home repair assistance to 354 homeowners participating in the home repair programs

  • Major Systems Repair (MSRP) – 9 homeowners assisted
  • Minor Home Repair (MHR) – 13 homeowners assisted
  • Basic Systems Repair (BSR) – 28 homeowners assisted
  • Reconstruction/SHARE – 18 homeowners assisted
  • People Helping People (PHP) – 286 homeowners assisted

Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs) – Use federal programs to develop affordable housing for homebuyers & renters

  • 19 single-family (SF) homes constructed: 3 in the Ervay Project, 11 in the Rochester Park Project, and 5 by the Forest Heights Neighborhood Development Corp. Project
  • 13 SF homes sold and occupied and 1 leased to purchase
  • 4 closings pending on purchase of SF homes
  • Construction underway on 3 SF homes in the Rochester Park Project
  • Construction of 6 SF homes is scheduled to start in spring of FY09 in the Cornerstone Town-homes Project

Bexar Street Development

  • Acquisition and development of 28 SF units at Bexar St. & Brigham Ln. is in progress with construction underway on 8 units with estimated completion by March 2009 and anticipated construction of 20 units scheduled to start during the 2nd quarter of FY2009
  • Bexar St. Phase I – $5.98M CDBG and CHDO development loan funds committed for activities including infrastructure improvements; lot acquisition, demolition and/or construction participation for residential, commercial, green spaces, and senior housing; and CHDO development loan
  • Bexar St. Phase II – $7.97M including 2003 and 2006 Bond Program funds and HOME funds committed for activities including infrastructure improvements in the CF Hawn Frwy.-Rochester area, infrastructure improvements in the Rochester-Trinity Park area, CHDO acquisition loan, and land acquisition for an employment center
  • Bexar St. Phase III – $1.6M 2006 Bond Program funds committed for street improvements in the Brigham to Hatcher St. area
  • Fair Park/Frazier Neighborhood Projects – $5.91M funding committed for
    • Dolphin Heights public improvements including street, sidewalk and landscaping
    • Frazier single-family acquisition/gap financing infrastructure
    • Spring Ave. Redevelopment street and streetscape improvements
    • Frazier-Scyene TOD acquisition
    • Second Ave. Entertainment – planning and development assistance

Street Improvements in the Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) area – funding committed/expended for improvements to 12 streets including 32 blocks

Single-Family Bond Funds

  • Infill Housing Frazier Court Project – $2,016,500 approved for infrastructure and development of 51 SF affordable homes – 10 units have been built and sold
  • Spring Ave. Revitalization Project – $500,000 approved for acquisition of improved and unimproved properties in the Frazier NIP area for residential and mixed-use redevelopment – closed on acquisition of 5 lots
  • Bottoms Revitalization Project – $500,000 approved for acquisition of improved and unimproved properties in the area known as the “Bottom” for development of the residential component of the Bottom Revitalization Project – loan agreement has been executed
  • Frazier Revitalization, Inc. Project – $750,000 approved for acquisition of improved and unimproved properties and demolition of existing properties under the Frazier-Scyene Economic Development Program
  • Kaminski Holdings, Inc. – Bexar St. – $300,000 approved to fund partial construction costs of the commercial portion of a mixed-use development in the NIP area

Land Bank – purchased 120 lots, 3 of which were sold to developers and 50 are pending sale

Dallas Housing Finance Corporation (DHFC)

  • DHFC assisted property -- Primrose at Park Villas Apartments tax credit property completed construction and lease-up of 232 units
  • TDHCA tax credit properties
    • White Rock Hill Town Homes – 302-units partially completed and currently in lease-up with 71% of units leased
    • Frazier Fellowship on Hatcher St. – 76 units
    • Wahoo Frazier (replacement) on Hatcher St – 118 units
    • Mill City Park Frazier on Hatcher St – 116 units
    • Shiloh Village on Shiloh Rd – approved in 2004 with 168 units
    • Primrose at Highland Meadows – approved in 2004 with 150 units

Economic Development

  • New retail centers are being constructed at Samuell Blvd. and S. Buckner Blvd. Buckner Crossing I and II will have a Ross Dress for Less store, L.A. Fitness center, Duncan Donuts and other retail.
  • The Dallas Independent School District opened its new Maria Luna Food Service Facility at 1515 Grand Ave. The 153,575 square-foot building houses the administrative offices for the Food and Child Nutrition Services Department and includes a central food service warehouse and commissary, a bakery, a packaging area and a 189-seat auditorium.
  • The Fair Park and MLK DART stations are under construction and scheduled to open in September 2009.
  • The first two homes of the residential development Park Row Estates, located at Malcolm X Blvd. and Park Row Ave., were completed in 2008. In total, 30 homes are planned.
  • South Dallas/Fair Park Trust Fund made 41 Grants that totaled $476,455 to benefits South Dallas/Fair Park residents from May 2007 to the present.