The intersection of Forest Lane and Audelia Road has for years been known as a place for nearby residents to avoid — a crime hotspot that’s been the site of drug deals, robberies and sometimes violent crime.
Now, the city hopes a new multi-million dollar revitalization effort can help change the neighborhood for the better.
Local officials are breaking ground Tuesday on the first phase of the Forest Audelia Project, a renovation and development plan near 9759 Forest Lane in North Lake Highlands.
Dallas Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Crystal Ross told KERA that the park is part of a larger effort to address equity and access in neighborhoods across the city, and that the project will be transformative for one of the densest neighborhoods in Northeast Dallas.
“Our kids, our families will now have a place where they can safely recreate, where they'll have structured activities,” Ross said.
In March, city council members approved more than $5.5 million in funding from the Skillman Tax Increment Financing District for the Parks and Recreation department to build the project. Another $2 million will come from other city funds, according to The Dallas Morning News.
The park will be built upon existing infrastructure on land that the city bought in 2020. The city will then make room for outdoor components of the project, including a playground and basketball court, where the existing building and parking lot currently sit.
There’s also a boxing gym in place since 2018 that the parks department helps run with the Dallas Police Athletic League. Model plans for the new space show it will include a Dallas Police substation.
The project will also have an indoor space run by the city’s Office of Arts and Culture, which will serve as a space for a gallery or dance theater. Details are still in the works, Ross said.
In 2021, the Better Block Foundation put up a temporary park in the parking lot of the shopping center where the finished park will be built. It included a basketball court, a playground and an art display.
“That pop-up program really did spark us because it was evident in that short amount of time that that community wants to be involved in a park,” Ross said. “They need a park and they will heavily utilize the park.”
Still, back then, safety was a big concern, said Krista Nightengale, executive director of the Better Block Foundation. She said the site was chosen as a place to put the pop-up park because of it being a high-crime spot.
Dallas police reported violent crimes and drug busts in the surrounding apartment complexes as recently as May at the city’s recent public safety committee meeting, though a police spokesperson said the department can't access recent crime statistics for the area because of a recent ransomware attack on city systems.
Nightengale's foundation worked with Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that involves federal, state and local collaboration to solve pressing violent crime issues in neighborhoods.
“We actually had someone come out and he told us that he and some of his friends were taking bets on how long it would be until someone was shot in that park. Ultimately, no one was, and we didn't see that happen,” Nightengale said. “Instead, what we saw were neighbors coming out together, running into each other and looking out for one another.”
Hopefully, Nightengale said, that will be the new norm in a neighborhood that’s seen its fair share of issues.
“I believe greatly and you know, creating more parks and creating more public spaces, and just the opportunity for people to simply run into one another and become neighbors is vital,” Nightengale said.
This story was updated to correct the proper name of Forest Lane and the spelling of Krista Nightengale's last name.
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