Good news keeps on coming for The LOOP as the Dallas City Council approved an $11,562,124 TIF Award for the Hi-Line Connector project yesterday. In May, the Sports Arena TIF Board approved the City’s recommended award for funds from the increment financing district to the Circuit Trail Conservancy (CTC) for development of the trail. Soon after that recommendation was approved, the Economic Development Committee also gave the green light sending the award to the City Council for approval.
We want to thank the officials on the TIF Board and the Dallas City Council for supporting this transformational project and give special appreciation to City of Dallas Economic Development staff for helping the CTC invest millions of TIF funds in this publicly owned project.
The Hi-Line Connector, a one-mile urban trail, will expand the iconic placemaking of the Katy Trail through Victory Park and the Design District to the Trinity Strand Trail, setting the stage for additional mixed-use development already occurring along the alignment by providing the necessary alternative transportation options bypassing Interstate-35E and the active DART/TRE rail line.
Once complete, a redesigned underpass at Interstate 35E will link the popular Katy Trail and the Trinity River side to the west of the highway.
The CTC will now be able to deliver a state-of-the-art active transportation system that will dramatically improve the safety, walkability and bikeability of two neighborhoods, while providing increased economic opportunity and a lasting return on investment for the City. The Hi-Line Connector is critical for this neighborhood to continue its economic growth in a sustainable manner. Numerous street blocks will be reconstructed to provide biking and walking areas protected from traffic including the first mid-intersection pedestrian crossing in Dallas.
The mid-intersection crossing at Hi Line Drive and Oak Lawn Avenue will allow people to easily, and safely, walk between neighborhoods when Hi Line Connector is complete.
In the coming weeks, the project will go out to bid for construction. To learn more about the Hi-Line Connector, read the article published in The Dallas Morning News in early June, which can be found on our website or on The Dallas Morning News website (subscription required). The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board also said this week that “connecting these neighborhoods and providing a safe link between these trails is a no-brainer.” Read the full endorsement here.
The CTC has been working on this transformational project for over six years and it is exciting to see it take one step closer to breaking ground. The Hi-Line Connector will help attract new economic growth while providing safe, reliable, green connection into Uptown and Victory/Downtown and will be a legacy project for people who call Dallas home for years to come.
Also, a special congratulations to Vana Hammond Parham who was recently recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as a rising star in its 40 Under 40 2021 Awards. We already know she’s a star and applaud the outlet for recognizing the same!
In addition to her work on the CTC board, she is also Senior Legal Counsel for AT&T. We are grateful to have Vana’s expertise and vision in bridging Dallas’ historic north-south divide as part of our organization.
