A community center is in the works to serve a predominantly Latino neighborhood in northern Dallas.
Using $4 million in federal money Farmers Branch and Dallas communities redirected back to the county, Richardson’s Dobie Pre-Kindergarten School will instead become a resource center.
Richardson's school district had considered closing the school because of budget concerns.
Dallas County Commissioner Andy Sommerman and Dallas City Council member Jaynie Schultz met with program organizations and Esperanza community members.
Sommerman was nervous that there would be no potential tenants and an empty building would sit in his district.
“It became clear that not only would we be able to fill the building, but now we've got elbow throwing going on saying, 'No, I want that space, No, I want the other one,' ” he said.
Health and human services, Los Barrios Unidos pediatric clinic and the YMCA are some organizations that would anchor the center.
Literacy programs and childcare would also fill the Dobie Community Center in Esperanza.
"It's become an amazing game of Tetris as to how we're going to fit each one of these individual programs into this particular building,” he said.
The Esperanza community, which means "Hope," is bordered by Spring Valley, Central Expressway, LBJ and Coit.
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