Young Guns members will renovate the exteriors and upgrade security measures at the Spring Plaza headquarters of South Dallas/Fair Park Innercity Community Development Corporation (ICDC) for their 2024 neighborhood revitalization project with TREC Community Investors.
In taking on one of the first projects of Dallas Catalyst Project: Mill City, the Young Guns will paint, install new landscaping and signage, and provide safety and security updates at the 15,000 square-foot site located at 4907 Spring Avenue.
The 2024 Young Guns Project Managers are Tanner Lloyd (Birch Construction) and Matthew McManigle (Balfour Beatty Construction).
The two-story Spring Plaza building includes office space, a reception area, restrooms, kitchenettes, conference rooms, and three retail storefront suites, with 12,495 square feet of rentable space.
The renovation is expected to benefit ICDC’s general operations and improve the retail experience for future tenants.
The project will cost approximately $155,000, with ICDC having already committed $45,000. ICDC officials have requested a $75,000 TREC Community Investors grant, which will be financed through proceeds from this year’s Young Guns Casino Night.
Founded in 1986, ICDC’s mission is to “create a stable, safe and vibrant South Dallas/Fair Park community by building partnerships that provide homeownership opportunities, job training, economic development, community education, and advocacy.”
“We believe safe spaces contribute to safe communities and neighborhoods. It demonstrates to the students that they live in a viable community, where they can become contributing citizens to their community instead of leaving the city to the suburbs,” ICDC officials wrote in their project proposal. “Additionally, a clean and attractive community is a building block for improved community self-awareness and self-esteem. This type of strategic and planned urban development renews the community’s spirit and brings hope towards the future.”
Spring Plaza is located in Census Tract 27.03. According to US Census data, 96 percent of its 5,828 population is made up of Black and Hispanic residents. Its median household income is $30,046, which is less than half of the City of Dallas’ $65,400. More than 16 percent of residents live below the poverty line.
Spring Plaza serves more than 2,500 residents annually through ICDC and the retail tenants.
Dallas Catalyst Project: Mill City is a place-based initiative focused on community revitalization. To learn more about the Dallas Catalyst Project, click here.