Dallas City Hall wants to save only mall in black community

[skyvolt2000]

http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/06/dallas-city-hall-intends-to-bu.html

Some time ago, shoppers made it fairly clear they prefer to take their dollars to places other than Southwest Center Mall, an aging facility with limited road access.

Today, the Dallas City Council's economic development committee will be briefed on a plan to spend a little more than $2 million to buy the old J.C. Penney piece of the former Red Bird mall in hopes of someday bringing the entire center back. The city will have to kick in up to $400,000 for clean-up too.

Why is City Hall interested in buying a big part of a fading enterprise versus having a private developer give it a go with his or her own money?

Says here in the briefing that the market is "too weak to justify private investment in redevelopment without public investment." Oh.

Now, the city has approached the private firm CityView Commercial to inquire whether it might be interested in partnering up in the SWC mall venture.

http://dallascityhall.com/committee_briefings/briefings0610/ECO_SW_CenterMall_060710.pdf

A lot of folks are asking the question-why?
When they are looking to cut library hours from 40 to 24 hours a week and cut staff by 86%. We are still paying for that new hotel and that annoying Trinity Project.
Why not do this for Prestonwood and Big Town when doomsday was looking at them in the face years ago?

Sears, Macys and Burlington Coat Factory are still there.
The Hispanics are planning and dang near finshed a store or something of thier own in what use to be Dillards.


Edit-
http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/06/whats-changed-with-southwest-c.html

Earlier today, we told you how the council's economic development committee would be briefed on plans to purchase the old J.C. Penney site at Southwest Center Mall.

The city staff was to lay out a plan to buy the site - a big stake in the failing mall - for something south of $2 million.

That plan is shelved, I've learned.

Instead there may be some light on the big mystery buried on the last page of today's briefing.

"New information has come to light impacting redevelopment opportunities at Southwest Center Mall which warrants considering a new approach for the City," the briefing stated.

What new information? Macy's - a key anchor tenant at SWC - might be looking to get out of the mall altogether.

If Macy's doesn't stay, that leaves Sears and Burlington Coat factory and some planned business called Fiesta Mundo that nobody yet can say will be a hit or bust.