The City of Dallas has spent the past few years working to attract new business to the city. According to WFAA News, Dallas will be introducing a new tool called an Economic Development Corporation. This is in response to the competition coming from nearby areas over recent years.
The city already has an Economic Development Department that works on bringing in new business, but this will be an additional tool that can help.
City council member Tennell Atkins explained on Inside Texas Politics that this corporation will focus more on Dallas as a city and not the greater North Texas region.
“This tool was specialized to make corporation pinpoint to Dallas. Not the region,” Atkins said. “We’ve got to think about Dallas. We’ve got to look at how do we develop Dallas.”
The city council is still working on the economic corporation, WFAA reported, with plans to name a board of directors in 2022. It is planning to hire an executive director around the same time.
According to Atkins, implementing the new corporation will let the city recruit businesses faster by cutting out some of the red tape. Atkins chairs the Economic Development Committee and added that the corporation will allow for faster recruitment than a city department would.
On Inside Texas Politics, the councilman said other cities have similar tools, but he thinks Dallas could do it better. Atkins stated that Dallas offers a central location in the country and has two airports, making it a good option for businesses.
According to WFAA, Dallas has experienced some negative business developments in recent years, including Uber deciding not to expand into the city.
Atkins said infrastructure improvements and enhanced job training will attract more business into Dallas. Improvements to Dallas ISD will also help, according to WFAA. The Economic Development Corporation will be used to streamline the process.
“We’ll be able to buy land, hold land, to be able to deal directly with corporations faster than the city of Dallas,” Atkins said. “But it’s still going to have oversight of the City Council.”
The recent drops in violent crime could also help with attracting people to Dallas, WFAA reported. This year, the violent crime rate dropped 8.5%, according to recent police statistics.
Atkins also serves on the city’s Public Safety Committee and credited the drop in crime to police being on the street more. He added that the police department has started collaborating with other departments instead of working alone.
“I think they’re working with code,” Atkins explained. “They’re working with the homeless department. I think all departments working together, the NPO, neighborhood police officer, working together. I think it’s the businesses working together.”
Atkins was first elected to the city council to represent District 8 in June of 2007, and he began his 7th term in June of 2021. Since his election, he has voiced his commitment to promoting economic development in Dallas. This includes attracting new businesses to the city and working to enhance infrastructure.
