A rezoning effort would transform a parcel of land in Dallas’ historic Oak Cliff Gateway district from residential transition use to walkable mixed-use, paving way for multifamily development projects in the area. 

Plans were approved by the Dallas City Plan Commission on May 27, with the rezoning now awaiting approval from City Council. Applicant Kechejian Enterprises has yet to say what it will do with the rezoned parcel at N. Madison Avenue and Ballard Avenue.  

A similar rezoning request was recently approved in West Oak Cliff on North Boulevard Terrace, changing that parcel’s zoning from single-family to multifamily. 

Rezoning efforts in the area first began over two decades ago when the Oak Cliff Gateway district was split into 10 parcels of varying land uses. Since then, there’s been significant pushback from residents of the area, many of whom worry significant redevelopment will further gentrify the diverse community. 

“You can’t replicate or manufacture culture, and these investors have no desire to create culture, just monetize a unique place,” one Reddit user said.  

Also on the table in Oak Clif is a proposal to turn the Houston Street Viaduct — one of only two main bridges linking downtown Dallas to North Oak Cliff — into a pedestrian overpass. Opposers say the plan will effectively cut Oak Cliff off from the Dallas city center, particularly following the approval and execution of similar plans for other bridges in the area. 

City Council member Cara Mendelsohn noted how “essential” the remaining thoroughfares have become. 

“We’ve got people coming to our building wearing these buttons that say, ‘Connect the Core,’ and what this is actually doing is disconnecting the core,” Mendelsohn said at a council meeting last month. “I feel like you’re cutting something that’s really essential to the future of our entire city and how that traffic moves.”