HISTORY OF FRAZIER REVITALIZATION

FRI was born directly out of the dreams of neighborhood residents. It started with a decision by the Dallas Housing Authority to replaced Frazier Courts, 50‐accre concentration of public housing originally built in the early 1940s. By 2000, most units were in deplorable condition and crime was rampant.

In 2003, with the support of the Foundation for Community Empowerment, Housing Authority secured a $20 million HOPE VI grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which it leveraged into nearly $60 million to replace the entire project. In its place, DHA built 300 new townhome‐style multifamily units and 40 single family homes.

To multiply the impact of its investment, DHA hired internationally known urban planner Antonio DiMambro to work with residents of the Frazier area to produce a comprehensive land use plan for the entire neighborhood. The plan, completed in 2004, calls for more than $270 million in new development, including housing, retail, industrial and healthcare facilities. The goal is a mixed‐income neighborhood with ample fit and affordable housing for both current residents and newcomers, plus a full range of basic services. In 2006, the Dallas City Council formally adopted the Frazier Neighborhood Plan as part of the city’s ForwardDallas! comprehensive plan.

In 2005, as recommended by the DHA study, the Foundation for Community Empowerment formed Frazier Revitalization Inc., an independent 501(c)(3), to spearhead implementation of the Frazier Neighborhood Plan. FRI’s first task was and continues to be land assembly. As in many inner‐city neighborhoods, land parcels in Frazier tend to be small, and ownership is often clouded. Builders shy away from such areas because of the extra time and effort required to find missing owners or resolve disputed titles.

FRI’s role, similar to that performed by similar nonprofits in other cities, is to facilitate development in keeping with the resident‐driven plan by assembling the necessary parcels and then passing them on to high‐quality, responsible builders. FRI also works with residents to come up with community‐based design standards and works with both residents and developers to see that those guidelines are followed.

Some people have different names for the area FRI refers to as "Frazier." What are the boundaries, and why call it "Frazier"? It's often difficult to define neighborhood boundaries - for instance, people constantly disagree about what constitues "Oak Cliff."...

If Frazier has so much economic potential, why not just leave redevelopment to the free market? It is very costly to build new homes or other projects in older neighborhoods such as Frazier...

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