Cedar Hill Turning Vacant Downtown Lot into Temporary Park to Showcase Site’s Potential
by: Sandra Engelland
Dallas Innovates
What do you do with a vacant downtown lot? The City of Cedar Hill has ideas.
In a unique approach to economic development, the city is turning a vacant downtown lot into an interim park. The goal is to showcase the potential of the 2.68-acre site to become a dynamic mixed-use hub. The city will kick off the effort with a Community Celebration Aug. 22.
The “forward-thinking” activation puts the property to work today while “building visibility, generating activity, and helping prospective partners envision what the site could become,” the city said in a release.
In its former life, the site was the Phillips lumber yard and hardware store. More recently, Jim Lake Companies had it under development for offices, restaurants, residential and retail space. The mixed-use development stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its ownership transferred back to the Cedar Hill Economic Development Corporation, officials said.
Now the property at 104 S. Broad St. will serve as a gathering space while awaiting permanent mixed-use development featuring restaurants, retail, entertainment and open space.
“This is an opportunity to show both the community and potential developers what this site can contribute to the future of Downtown Cedar Hill,” said Henry Florsheim, director of economic development.
“We are creating energy and value at the site today while continuing to pursue the right partner and a permanent development that reflects the community’s vision for downtown.”