Bishop Arts growing pains: Additional older properties set for demolition
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Bishop Arts is once again wrestling with one of the consequences of success: growth, in all directions.
And now, the planned demolition of a block of largely rental housing along 8th Street — to be replaced with a large apartment complex — has renewed conversations around how best to manage growth without losing the neighborhood's unique culture.
"More people moving in, there's a freshness about it," said Ken Valencia, owner of the Bishop Arts-based Ellison-Valencia Gallery. "And we have to look at the big picture of things."
And yes, that "big picture" includes gentrification. The planned demolition is controversial for some, but simply just the price of progress for others.
"You've got to be careful about freezing things in time," said David Spence. "Things that freeze tend to die... and so a city has to evolve, and Bishop Arts has to evolve if it wants to continue."
Spence lives in Oak Cliff and owns "Good Spaces," a renovator and operator of antique buildings in and around Bishop Arts. While he admittedly loves old things, he sees the benefit of new development as well.
"People are coming to this neighborhood. They will fill those 225 apartment units like that," said Spence, snapping his fingers for emphasis.
He also doubted that discontent being shared online is a good barometer of the community's concerns. "I'm not sure I read the level of discontent in the neighborhood that you might find on some social media posts."
Critics have complained that tearing down the block of privately held properties will mean a loss of affordable housing, but community advocates pointed out that the decisions that allowed the high-density housing were made at the city more than a decade ago. The time, they said, to advocate for affordable housing, or whatever changes you want to see in the community or not, is before those changes happen.
"Say something. Speak up. You can't expect someone to build a development or the community that you want if they never hear from you," said Paul Carden, who works in neighborhood development with the volunteer non-profit Heritage Oak Cliff. "Make sure your voice is heard and let's take lessons from developments such as 8th Street."
Meanwhile, Spence reminded the community that what matters most is not buildings, but people. "To get that kind of human capital in addition to the financial capital, I'm willing to make some tradeoffs and I'm willing to see a few blocks of old buildings disappear."
