Dallas residents are upset that the new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center renovations would essentially cut off Oak Cliff from Downtown Dallas. The plans would cause Jefferson Street to dead-end into the convention center and make each bridge one way.
Local Perspective
The Houston Street and Jefferson Street viaducts are currently two-way bridges connecting Oak Cliff and Southern Dallas into and out of Downtown Dallas. Dallas city council member Chad West says that the design team never presented this change to council members, causing them to be blindsided when the plan was revealed in March.
“Ultimately, the city council needs to decide whether to support residents or the tourism bureau. A solution we haven’t come up with. Hope we can get there quickly,” said Chad West of the Dallas City Council.
Next Steps
It’s unclear when the full council will decide what to do. Time is likely of the essence since this issue puts the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center construction on hold. The vote normally would not go before the council until August, after their July break, but it’s also possible that the mayor calls a special meeting, which would bring it to council as soon as next Wednesday for either a briefing or a vote.
Original reporting: Dallas – Ft. Worth Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
