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DALLAS - City of Dallas District 5 Council Member Jaime Resendez and the Office of Economic Development are partnering with The Better Block Foundation and the Inspired Vision Compassion Center to reimagine a portion of the parking lot at the Bruton Masters Village Shopping Center to see how it could better serve the community. With the opening event scheduled for November 18, the project team will spend the next few weeks working with the community to teach about placemaking, discuss what they’d like to see in the space, and to ultimately bring it to life.
“We are so excited to be working with the community and the City in Council District 5,” says Krista Nightengale, Better Block’s Executive Director. “Normally, when we’re tasked with reimagining a parking lot, we take a space and completely reallocate it from cars to people. In this one, we have the challenge of still allowing cars access to the space but making it more pedestrian friendly in general. We’re excited to see the possibilities!”
Better Block Pleasant Grove is a tactical urbanism project designed to demonstrate to commercial property owners and the community the possibility of envisioning and reimagining how unused/underutilized retail property, including private surface parking, can be transformed from “space” into “a place” to spur economic development and revitalization.
District 5 Dallas City Council Member Jaime Resendez says the project represents and is part of his overall plan for the area. “This is an exciting project for District 5 as we continue to work to improve the Bruton Road/Masters Road area, building on the award-winning Smart City pilot project in the Red Cloud neighborhood. Better Block is a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing blighted areas and building social infrastructure, and we are confident that reimagining part of the Inspired Vision Compassion Center parking lot to be family-friendly will help to foster a sense of community in the surrounding area.”
Better Block’s 120-day process puts the community at the forefront of the planning process. By collaborating with Inspired Vision Compassion Center, a food bank that gives groceries to about 1,800 families each weekday, the community will bring the heart and soul to the demonstration.
“Inspired Vision Compassion Center is very excited about this project coming to our community,” says Pastor Karen Belknap. “We are an integral part of the neighborhood, and among other services, provide free food to about 1,800 families a day, many of whom live in the surrounding area. We hope that this project will build on our efforts, and the efforts of Council Member Jaime Resendez, to bring new energy and vitality to the neighborhood.”
From Nov. 15 through Nov. 18, participants will join in volunteer workshops involving painting, furniture assembly, and event setup. Residents and members of the community are encouraged to come check out the transformation on Nov. 18. To learn more, go to betterblock.org/pleasantgrove.
About the Better Block Foundation
Better Block Foundation is an urban design nonprofit that educates, equips, and empowers communities and their leaders to reshape and reactivate built environments to promote the growth of healthy and vibrant neighborhoods. Find out more by visiting www.betterblock.org.
About Inspired Vision Compassion Center
Inspired Vision Compassion Center’s mission is to change the spiritual, emotional, and educational brokenness and poverty in the City of Dallas, and then to other regions. They strive to be a transformative organization that helps reshape and remold the community into one that rises above the inequalities with which it has been plagued with for so long. Their goal is to bring change and transform the lives in our community, through salvation, mentoring, educating and support systems.
About District 5 Dallas City Council Member Jaime Resendez
Jaime Resendez was first elected to serve on the City Council in 2019 and is now serving his third term. He is committed to improving the communities in Pleasant Grove/Southeast Dallas through neighborhood revitalization, bridging the digital divide, and working to ensure racial equity throughout our city.
About City of Dallas Office of Economic Development
The City of Dallas Office of Economic Development promotes Dallas as a diverse, equitable, and globally competitive business destination that fosters economic opportunities for all areas of the City. For more information, visit the website at www.dallasecodev.org.
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