At least one item related to the Trinity River Corridor Project will be completed by October -- kinda has to be, if the city council today takes up the Trust for Public Land's offer of $100,000. The dough comes courtesy MetLife Foundation, which, according to today's council agenda (page 177, to be precise), "determined the funds should be used for the Trinity River Corridor Project." And the city has determined the money will be spent on the Fast Track Overlook. Which is:
" ... a view park that will be located at the junction of the Commerce Street Bridge and Beckley Avenue and will provide citizens with a view back across the Trinity River and the two future lakes. It will also connect with the Trinity Trail system that will run near the Oak Cliff and West Commerce communities as well as the La Bajada/Los Alto neighborhoods. Most importantly, it will be the first step toward connecting downtown Dallas with these communities."Only, the dough comes with stipulations, among them: Trust for Public Land and MetLife have to be mentioned plenty, at "celebratory events [and in] media releases [and on] site signage." And: "The overlook must be completed by October 2008." Hence, the fast track part. After the jump, Deep Ellum news.
Also, for those so interested: The council today will also discuss expanding the Deep Ellum Tax Increment Refinancing Zone -- "to include the Latino Cultural Center and certain adjacent properties including property owned by the City that the City desires to have developed pursuant to the Project Plan." Because the city wants to up the amount of dough that goes back into the TIF by nearly $10 million ... with half of that going toward the Latino Cultural Center "for improvements." Didn't that thing, like, just open, like, five years ago? --Robert Wilonsky
