The Dallas City Council will hear plans for developing a former naval air station, potentially leading to the creation of a new mixed-use community.
The plan, developed by city staff and Austin-based McCann Adams Studio, proposes to develop the air station into commercial real estate, including office buildings, restaurants, stores, and residential housing.
The 59-page presentation seeks to breathe life into the 738-acre site. Renderings of the area in the document envision a vibrant community with tall buildings, a beach, and waterways with bridges built over them.
According to the plan, 12,000 new jobs and 12,000 people could populate the area as the site continues to develop for a 20-year span. It anticipates there will be 6,800 dwelling units and 3.7 million square feet of commercial and institutional space.
The former naval air station is near Mountain Creek Lake south of Jefferson Boulevard and adjacent to the City of Grand Prairie. The city of Dallas has primarily used Hensley Field for storage since the U.S. Navy left in 1998.
However, officials hope that the area of Hensley Field could be ripe for increased economic growth and development, a blank canvas that the city of Dallas can develop as it sees fit.
Some area residents have said they aren’t happy with the plans for development.
“City services have been an issue out here for 16 years and you’re going to add more residents out here with no guarantees of better city services,” Fred Allen, resident leader of a nearby neighborhood, told NBCDFW.
When the city originally hired McCann Adams, Councilman Casey Thomas described the development as a historic opportunity for the city. At the time, Councilman Tennell Atkins said, “This is going to spur our tax value, with employees, with jobs. But we’ve got to make sure we stay focused.”
Sources: NBC, planning document
