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City Hall offers $3 million togrocery stores willing to open insouthern Dallas 'food desert'

By Robert Wilonsky

City Columnist

Published: 15 July 2016 03:14 PM

Updated: 15 July 2016 03:20 PM

The city of Dallas has officially announced it has at least $3million available to anyone willing to develop or build "oneor more high quality grocery stores" in southern Dallas --or, more specifically, in a "southern Dallas food desert."

The notice was issued Friday, about a month after the CityCouncil approved setting aside money to lure grocers toparts of the city where fresh, healthy food is hard to find.

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And the city is very clear about what it wants: at least onestore no smaller than 25,000 square feet, and preferablyone that could anchor a larger mixed-use development.

But at this point, something is better than nothing.

"The City of Dallas' goal is to promote sustainableneighborhoods, enhanced quality of life, economicdevelopment and job creation by providing access tohealthy food options," says the notice, "including freshfruits and vegetables, for our citizens through thedevelopment of high quality grocery stores in the city'smost underserved areas."

  

The $3 million will come from the city's Public/PrivatePartnership Program, which collects its money from Dallasresidents' water bills. And the figure was no accident:That's the same amount given to Costo in May to open itsfirst-ever Dallas store, along Coit Road near North CentralExpressway and LBJ Freeway. Dallas City Council member

  

http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/2016/05/dallas-approves-3-million-grant-for-citys-first-costco-near-lbj-and-n-central.html/

Mark Clayton added the food desert amendment much tothe delight of some southern Dallas council members whowere learning toward voting against the Costco grant.

Hammond Perot, second-in-command in the city's Officeof Economic Development, said the notice will be put ingrocery-store trade magazines and sent to developers. It's alandmark moment:  Perot said it's the first time his officehas ever issued such a notice for any project.

But, he said, the circumstances are special. The notice ,Perot said, "expresses the intent of the council to advocatefor a particular project in a particular part of the city." 

It's a part of the city where, according to the notice, "asignificant number of residents " live more than a milefrom a grocery store, one of the U.S. Department ofAgriculture's main "food desert" criteria. It's a part of thecity considered low-income. And it's a part of the citywhere, according to a 2007 study, residents buy most oftheir food from convenience stores peddling "highconcentrations of unhealthy fats, carbohydrates, andadditives, which contribute to health problems such asobesity, diabetes, and heart disease."

  

http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas.aspxhttp://www.dallasobserver.com/news/for-some-theres-never-a-bountiful-harvest-7139035

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Erik Wilson, who represents Dallas'southernmost council district, told his colleagues in Maythat "grocery stores are like unicorns -- we know theyexist, but we just haven't seen one."

He said Friday that the notice of the $3 million isn't the"silver bullet" that will fill southern Dallas' emptystomachs. Far from it. But, he said, "It's a good start. It's agood effort."

But it's not the only one.

Perot said Friday that the city has long talked to grocerystores about opening in southern Dallas. He said his office

  

works the phones and attends trade shows in the hopes ofgetting someone to bite. But stores offer myriad issues forsteering clear, among them: They can't assemble enoughreal estate to make a project work; there's not enoughdensity to justify a full-service grocery; or theinfrastructure's not there to support one. 

"Every store, while they may be similar, they have theirown specific criteria," Perot said. "It could be residents'income, education levels, the values of homes. It varieswith each company. They have different reasons why theydo or don't go to a market."

Wilson, whose district encompasses Oak Cliff and PleasantGrove and Kleberg-Rylie, said the city needs to work harderto erase those excuses. 

No one will take the cash, said the council member, "unlesswe come up with good development plans that support it.We need to deal with housing and infrastructure. My prayeris that it will be the catalyst that will begin to grow thesouthern sector and dispel the myths that things can'thappen here.  We've got to grow our city as whole, not as asection. This is just one peg in the process."

City of Dallas NOFA for Southern Dallas Food Desert Grocery Store Development by RobertWilonsky on Scribd

  

https://www.scribd.com/document/318419016/City-of-Dallas-NOFA-for-Southern-Dallas-Food-Desert-Grocery-Store-Development#from_embedhttps://www.scribd.com/user/50695766/Robert-Wilonsky#from_embed

 

City of Dallas

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

For Southern Dallas Food Desert

Grocery Store Development

Issued July 2016

On Twitter: @RobertWilonsky

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And our police officers are leaving for better pay at neighboring departments. The CityCouncil should be ashamed of themselves. Deeds speak loader than words MrMayor.

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There's a reason none want to build there...

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Is this big DADDY ON PINE AND COLONIAL

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I will like to i love my people in south side druge around store i want. Let happen.. Getthem what they need. Will do. Dope fine Love them too. Ineed guide to this.

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That's not enough $. Clubs cost more than that.

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They need a HEB!!!

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Big daddy's! Some good chicken in there! Love their chicken salad as well!!!

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You cant throw money at and wish the crime away in South Dallas. Only the peoplethat live there can do that. Never going to happen. They will rob their Grandma for aquarter.

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I live by there and it is not a safe place.....

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What we need is to stop having south Dallas segregated and make it safe for allraces, rich poor and in between to build and live in the neighborhood and trust blackswould welcome that especially the nation of islam, new black Panthers and huey pnewton gun club.

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If you live in the south than you already manyards is high ad hell , good ideal and he'llno don't body want damn El rancho they expensive to

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They need a grocery store in the Joppe area. People there haa to cross the tracks toget gorceries ans gas. This area is going to be big again because of all the habitathouses being built. So I think this area really need the grocery store. The closest storeis about 2 miles away.

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In the meantime, they could have a few food trucks that sell fruits and veggies makescheduled stops in those neighborhoods.

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Yes lord definitely

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Jack Bassett you need to check in to this !!

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I think its great what the city is trying to do.. Just looks what they did for parts of WestDallas along the Sylvan bridge... Great Ideal trying to rebuild these areas.. Keep itup..

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Use that money to help build up those areas, take care of the stray dogs and animaldumping issues, etc., and these stores won't have to be bribed to build there.

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Bonton Farms is certainly trying.

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How about the city of Dallas take that 3 million and invest in neighborhood gardens.Help others help themselves and not bribe business. Fresh food from a local gardentended to by the local residents is a great way for government to help communitiesnot asking Walmart or Kroger to build. Just my opinon.

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3 days agoSteve Steele from Facebook

Why spend $3 Million? Seeds are cheap. They have empty lots.

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Aldi would be an excellent option. Low prices. The best freshest produce.

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3 million should get high security

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They'll lose 10 million in theft and robberies the first week they open ..lol

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Pine and Colonial

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It's about time.

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J.J. Salomon open one up with Armani.

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I grew up in this area. I remember this grocery store. It will serve the community well.Afterall, times change and people change. The neighborhood is now renewed withmodernized townhomes and condos. Go for it.

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and i would be killed the first night for the money i collected.

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They had several at one time,now we can't even keep sacred and save,Fiesta isgood,Walmart neighborhoods next to it,but hec we use to have ,Tom thumb and El

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Chico I never had to go anywhere

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Let us get a great grocery store opened!!!!!

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Hahahahaha, no thanks. I value my life, more than 3 million dollars!!!!!

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There is a reason there are no shops there

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I live in southeast Dallas... Everyone on my street takes care of their yards andhomes. You don't know what TF you are taking about.

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4 days agoDallasLive

Amen!

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Hold a town hall meeting in that neighborhood, under a tent if needed, and ask thecommunity what they need. Get their agreement and maybe it could even providejobs. Put a WinCo in that area. Employees take great pride in the business becausethey become shareholders. Winco has great prices

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