A concrete plant that resided in the Trinity Groves area was approved to get relocated 3 miles away to a West Dallas neighborhood to make room for a new hotel and apartments. The concrete plant will relocated to the former site of the RSR Smelter pollution and current Superfund site. This means it will be next to Thomas A. Edison Middle School, one of the schools that was affected by the lead poisoning in the 1970s and 1980s (Stone, 2015). The Dallas Observer says that the relocation will cost $13 million to $17 million dollars and it’s all for the sake of Trinity Groves growth and development (Young, n.d.).
The residents of West Dallas protested the move at a city hall meeting in October of 2015 arguing that the previous concrete plant that resided in West Dallas made everything dusty, grey, and dirty. The City told the residents that the new plant would be cleaner, but the residents are scared of the damage it could do if it isn’t (Young, n.d).
The City Council is in disagreement about the relocation because Tiffinni Young and Carolyn Arnold were not on the Council when the vote was taken, so they are being held to a decision made by their predecessors. The eight members that voted against moving the plant argue that putting people before business should always be the priority (Young, n.d.). Mayor Mike Rawlings, who is in favor of funding the plant’s relocation, responded by saying:
“People first, business second. Now, the question is which people. That’s where we get into an argument.”
Mayor Mike Rawlings (Young, n.d.)
The Council’s decision to move the concrete plant next to a low-income middle school for the sake of West Dallas’ growth and development shows how West Dallas residents are being pushed out. Instead of keeping the plant where it was, they moved it closer to the residents who have been in West Dallas their whole lives. This opens the door for newer, richer people to move in and raise the cost of living so current residents can’t afford to live there. Gentrification is changing the West Dallas landscape and while there are some benefits, it ultimately forces the low-income residents out of their homes with nowhere else to go (Stone, 2015).
Stone, R. (2015, November 2). City to move West Dallas concrete plant next to Superfund site, school. Oak Cliff. https://oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2015/11/city-to-move-west-dallas-concrete-plant-next-to-superfund-site/
Vaughn, J. (2021, November 10). The Fight Against a West Dallas Concrete Batch Plant Heads to City Council. Dallas Observer. https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/the-fight-against-a-west-dallas-concrete-batch-plant-goes-to-city-council-12784453
Young, S. (n.d.). Despite Protests, Council OKs Cash for Concrete Plant to Move Near School. Dallas Observer. Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/despite-protests-council-oks-cash-for-concrete-plant-to-move-near-school-7726782