Dallas has a way of squashing the long-fought wins before they’ve even had a chance to cook.
The reflex to have an opinion before something has time to really develop is a vote against the city’s future. A popular Memphis rapper might say, “let her cook!” Or a seasoned chef may say “let’s let this marinate.” Whether it’s a food or pop culture reference or the decades-long planning efforts for neighborhood change, the need for time, patience and a positive outlook weighs heavily on the outcome for the future of Dallas.
One outcome I’m deeply passionate about is the future of Oak Cliff and realizing quality development and amenities throughout southern Dallas. Being able to bring something to life where historic underinvestment is hard to combat takes a long-term vision and persistence. So when we get “nice things” in my community, my lens is to support, uplift and patronize.
Recently, I’ve heard a lot of “Yeah … but …” around long-fought investments in Oak Cliff, specifically with Halperin Park, a $300 million investment bridging the decades-long divide between neighborhoods separated by the construction of Interstate Highway 35. Originally named Southern Gateway Park, the original idea for this catalyst project began as a “sketch on a napkin” over 10 years ago. Not many of us have worked on a decades-long project that reshapes the urban core, yet the common narrative I hear is still – “It’s a great park, but there is no parking,” or “it’s still in Oak Cliff” or “it will just lead to more gentrification.”
I’m sorry, but Oak Cliff deserves nice things. This historic investment hasn’t been open more than four months, and we already have negative critics? If all Dallas residents can’t speak highly of how our own neighborhoods are growing, how do we expect those new to Dallas and the Dallas-Fort Worth region to experience our city?
Less prominent are the headlines about East Dock development, a historic renovation of a century-old ice house with local shops, restaurants, office space and gyms — a direct economic impact of the park. Or literally last week, the announcement to tear down an adjacent seedy motel, for additional parking access and future development that I’m sure did not happen overnight.
What we have to remember is that Oak Cliff and southern Dallas are being curated. Our neighborhoods did not become underinvested in isolation, and will not revitalize with just one project either. The more we spend our time and money, and sometimes even more importantly, our life-giving words into positive outcomes, it ensures that the wins become catalysts for a brighter future.
Maggie Parker is founder and managing partner of Innovan Neighborhoods.
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