By Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
Recently an editorial appeared in a local daily newspaper that misrepresented my role in a proposed development project in South Dallas. I want to share with you my response to the editorial. My constituents know my record and understand my commitment to serve them. – Rep. EBJ
Your editorial entitled Make the Dirt Fly, written on February 14th, is more fiction than reality. It is layered with numerous untruths and omits the role that my office has played to bring sustainable projects to neighborhoods located near the Veterans Administration Hospital in South Dallas.
The basis of the editorial rests upon the testimony of a single developer whose actions are uncertain, while others question whether he is fully committed to the development of Veterans Place.
As recently as last month, I met with the developer concerning the project. On at least two occasions, I have met with his consultant, and I have spent time with Dallas City Hall officials to see how this project could become a reality.
The editorial quotes the developer as saying that federal approval was absent. The developer has asked the federal government to give him a guarantee that it would lease space from him if the project were completed. The problem is a developer who wants a commitment from the Veterans Administration that is unlawful.
The editorial also unjustly assigns blame to certain groups for delays on the project. The City of Dallas has already set aside $4.4 million for this project. The VA had the land appraised by a third party, and offered to purchase the land from the developer. The developer initially had the land appraised at approximately $15 million. When that figure was disputed, he agreed to a $5.2 million appraisal by an independent appraiser. The developer ultimately agreed to the terms of a contract to sell the property to the Veterans Administration. The developer then rescinded the deal at the last minute in hopes of retaining some ownership of the property.
The real obstruction to progress is not a lack of communication within a public-private partnership, but one of securing proportionate funding from private sources. The City of Dallas has taken legitimate steps to reasonably plan and fund the Veterans Place project. Unfortunately, the developer has relied overwhelmingly on public funds to move this project forward. The “pre-development costs” that he has offered would be a fraction of the total costs, and would place a disproportionate risk on the City of Dallas.
As for the development of Southern Dallas and the creation of housing and retail space, I have worked closely with city officials and developers to create sustainable projects. One that I am most proud of is Lancaster Urban Village, a mixed use project that will create housing, retails shops, office space, and recreational facilities for the residents who live where the Veterans Administration Hospital is located.
My office helped to secure federal funding for the project. We worked closely with city officials and developers, and once the development is completed it will be a vital part of Southern Dallas. So, to suggest that we have done nothing is patently false. In fact, one of the reporters from your newspaper wrote about the groundbreaking. The headline of the article read “Lancaster Urban Village offers promise for Oak Cliff corridor.”
I do not mind fair and equitable evaluation of my work. But I take offense at slanted and biased coverage that distorts reality. It is something that I will not tolerate without comment.
