The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center has no plans to move from downtown Dallas.
That announcement followed allegations last week that Dallas City Council members are entertaining discussions to move the center from downtown to the Dallas Executive Airport.
Staff at The Bridge said Monday that its leadership team has not been invited to any discussions and has no plans to relocate.
David Woody III, The Bridge president and CEO, said in a statement that the center's central location provides access to recovery-oriented services for people experiencing homelessness.
"We recently learned of these reported discussions and are committed to working with any stakeholder group that is dedicated to a transparent process centered on addressing the needs of the unhoused and community priorities," Woody III said.
Woody's comments come nearly a week after council members Cara Mendelsohn, Zarin Gracey, Lorie Blair, and Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno met with an outside group to discuss homelessness solutions. All four council members are on the Housing and Homelessness Solutions committee, which would have made a quorum.
Because the meeting was not posted publicly ahead of time and there was a quorum, council members Adam Bazaldua and Paula Blackmon accused the group of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Blackmon told KERA that the meeting was to discuss moving The Bridge from downtown to south Dallas near Dallas Executive Airport. Mendelsohn did not give meeting specifics, but said they were meeting with an outside group of philanthropists who wanted to pitch an idea for homelessness solutions.
The Dallas City Council recently approved $5.9 million for the center, a $1.4 million increase.
At Wednesday's council meeting, Moreno added a motion to bring the good neighbor requirements to the Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee for review and discussion.
The next scheduled Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee meeting will be Oct. 7.
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