DALLAS - When you think of Lower Greenville, what comes to mind? Bars, restaurants, mostly nightlife?
There is a move to change those labels and make the area more family-friendly.
You don't see that much foot traffic along Lower Greenville. The sidewalks are small, there's no parking and then there's the crime.
It's a combination that is driving people away from this historical neighborhood and it's why the city is looking to use bond money from 2006 to bring it back.
It was once one of Dallas' most eccentric neighborhoods. Now Lower Greenville is a mixture of struggling businesses and troubled nightspots that are driving many away.
"Do you eat here, do you shop here? I used to, things have changed," said Bruce Richardson, a Lower Greenville resident.
Like Richardson, many people are taking their business elsewhere.
But Dallas is trying to win the war, sinking more than $1 million into renovations, expanding sidewalks, adding parking, making it more family friendly.
"We want to see folks coming here for breakfast, we want to see folks shopping here during their lunch breaks, we love it's an interesting area, we want to bring the balance back," said council member Angela Hunt.
It couldn't have come at a better time for business owners, like Richardo Avilas, who has lost customers, following two recent shootings on the block.
"It's in flux, it's changing. I knew that when I got here, but I wasn't expecting some of things we've seen in the last six months," said Avilas.
The next year will also bring new choices, like adding a spot for chef-owned food trucks.
An Austin-themed urban eatery will soon take over the old Arcadia location, changing the look, changing the feel to hopefully change minds in Lower Greenville.
Some of these renovations will begin next summer.
E-mail: ccivale@wfaa.com
