In preparation for our Vickery Better Block project in Dallas, we’ve made it a mission to collaborate with as many interested parties as possible to collect input, form partnerships, and lay the groundwork for a successful revitalization project.
From U.S. Attorney General William Barr’s explanation of funding, to a seven-year-old girl’s longing for a place to perform dance recitals, every minute spent on the planning of these projects has been invaluable.
North Lake Highlands Youth Boxing Gym opened its doors to William Barr (United States Attorney General), John Cornyn (U.S. Senator), Erin Nealy Cox (U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas), and our Founding Director, Jason Roberts, to facilitate a discussion about how we plan to use intentional design to deter criminal activity within one of Dallas's crime hotspots. Through a partnership with Project Safe Neighborhoods, the project will consist of two phases involving unique design and continued community engagement. Learn more about the project's details in Robert Wilonsky’s Dallas Morning News article.
The day after the meeting at the boxing gym, our new Project Manager Amanda Bagwell led a separate community meeting where we listened to the opinion and stories of parents, local nonprofit leaders, and other stakeholders interested in the wellbeing and improvement of their neighborhood. One resident spoke in both English and Spanish as she explained her daughter's desire to grow as a dancer and reader despite the limited resources available for families in that part of north Dallas. Tears almost came to her eyes when our team began talked about installing a stage and partnering with local schools to put on recitals in the future plaza.
We are honored to be a part of this transition and eager to carry out the changes necessary to make this community's public spaces safer and more beautiful.
If you want to get involved with the Vickery project, please email amanda@betterblock.org. If you want to get involved with our work in our future Forest/Audelia, please email kristin@betterblock.org.