Editorial: Council gives Lancaster-Kiest a fighting chance
January 2, 2009
by Dallas Morning News
The news that the area near Lancaster Road and Kiest Boulevard would be part of Dallas' first TOD-TIF no doubt prompted bewildered shrugs from many residents.
The inscrutable acronyms give little clue of the important public policy at work. For those without a City Hall translator handy, this long-struggling neighborhood in southern Dallas will benefit from a transit-oriented development/tax-increment finance district. In plain English, that means tax revenue from the north will flow south, spurring redevelopment efforts near Lancaster-Kiest.
With little fanfare, the Dallas City Council signed off on the plan to send revenue from development north of downtown to subsidize efforts for pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use developments along the Lancaster Corridor.
Recognizing that developers were not lining up to invest in this part of southern Dallas, the city got creative and fashioned a tax-increment finance district along a DART line. The TIF's three subdistricts include Lancaster-Kiest, the Cedars West area just south of downtown and neighborhoods near the Mockingbird and Lovers Lane DART stations.
While all three subdistricts stand to benefit, the Lancaster Corridor is positioned to be the big winner.
Council members understand that after enduring decades of neglect, this neighborhood needs a jumpstart. The decision to send money from the north to the south represents a seismic shift from days past when southern Dallas received far less than its fair share.
To its credit, this council has begun to acknowledge that Dallas' economic future depends on the success of its southern half. And to atone for past abuses, the city now must overinvest in these blighted areas.
Money won't automatically cure all that ails this part of the city. The rail line slices Lancaster Road in half, and other eyesores are entrenched. But the city already has notched a few victories, shutting down two no-tell motels that were havens for prostitutes and drugs.
The newly approved TIF now provides an opportunity to build on that momentum.
Thanks to the City Council, Lancaster-Kiest has a chance at a fresh start.
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