Welcome! I hope you find this informative and enjoy seeing just a few of the things that have been happening in our district.We have had a busy 18 months since I took office as commissioner for District 4. We have done so much and I am proud of all that we have accomplished. But what I am most proud of is our team here at Dallas County and the partnerships we have formed with our cities, community organizations and other groups throughout our district.
Construction of Hunter-Ferrell Road is underway thanks to the teamwork of our Public Works Department and the Cities of Irving and Grand Prairie. We have opened two new trails under the leadership of our Trail and Pre- serve Program board, County Staff and the City of Irving Parks Department. We opened the Grand Prairie COPC which was built by our great team at Park- land in partnership with the City of Grand Prairie. We are also moving forward on MCIP projects on Denton Drive and Medical District Drive, with input and cooperation from our friends at the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Stemmons Corridor Business Association. And I cannot forget our own District 4 Road and Bridge Crew, the partnerships they have formed and the work that they do with all of our District 4 cities.
None of these things could be accomplished without teamwork. We have a great team here at Dallas County, and we have great partners in the cities and organizations throughout our district. Together, we can accomplish so much.
I look forward to working with all of you and continuing the fantastic things that we have started for all of the residents of District 4.
New Grand Prairie Health Center Opens
On July 2nd, Parkland Health & Hospital System and the City of Grand Prairie celebrated the opening of the new 39,000 square foot E. Carlyle Smith, Jr. Health Center. Parkland‟s newest community-based health clinic is located at 801 Conover Drive and was built to serve 40,000 patient visits per year. It will offer pediatric, adult and geriatric care. In addition, specialty services such as psychiatry, psychology and dental care will be provided. “This clinic is extremely important for our community,” said Charles England, Mayor of Grand Prairie. “Thousands of Grand Prairie resi- dents will be able to take care of their health care needs here in town now instead of having to travel to Parkland Hospital in Dallas.”
This marks Parkland‟s 12th community oriented primary care clinic (COPC). Parkland selected Grand Prairie for the site of its new clinic because it is not geographically close to other Parkland clinics, it is split between Dallasand Tarrant counties and the community has one of the lowest physician-to-population ratios in the region. Research shows that community health clinics provide greater access to care and a medical home for preventive health services. Prevention leads to financial savings because fewer patients with chronic conditions visit emergency rooms, where the cost of care escalates. Dr. Garcia says, “This clinic is a great example of how local government can really impact people‟s lives in a positive way and what can happen when we work together to improve the quality of life in our communities.”
Irving Trails For District 4
Trails are great and we want more trails in District 4. Trails provide important green space, walkable and rideable paths, add desirability to neighborhoods, and increase property values. Trails also provide a scenic and fun way to improve the health of people and pets. Dallas County works in close partnership with the city governments to plan and build trails. There have been several trail projects in District 4 and more are being planned. In April 2012 the River Hills trail, part of the Campion Trail in Irving was completed. The Valley Ranch Trail, also a part of Campion Trail, was completed in October of 2011. Currently, there are two more County-funded trails in District 4 that are in various phases of planning. Chalk Hill Trail, in Oak Cliff and the Lone Star Trail, a connection between Grand Prairie and Irving, have all been approved by the Dallas County Trails and Preserve Program Board. Pending approval by the Dallas County Commissioners Court, we will add two more trails to District 4.
Grand Prairie Sub Courthouse Groundbreaking
The Dallas County Grand Prairie Sub-courthouse is a $6.1 million, design and build project. The two-story, 32,000-square-foot masonry building will include the truancy and justice of the peace courts, juvenile probation department, constable and tax offices, and support spaces.The facility is being built on a former retail building site in downtown Grand Prairie. As part of Dallas County‟s major capital development fund, the building project was approved after reviewing the cost of maintaining older facilities versus building a newer, more efficient facility. “This will be a big boost to the revitalization of downtown,” said Mayor Charles England.
Located near the city’s historic Main Street, the building will bring 250 employees to the area. “The town has grown so much in the past 20 years that we’re now at almost 190,000 people. That courthouse was built for about population of 50,000 — our old courthouse,” said England. Dr. Elba Garcia added, “This project is a tangible, physical symbol of Dallas County‟s dedication to offer better access to government and to serve the residents of Grand Prairie. And I am proud to be a part of it.” The facility is scheduled to open in March 2013.
About District 4
Dallas County District 4 is most of western Dallas County and includes parts of the cities of Dallas, Grand Prairie, and Irving, and all of Cockrell Hill. The northern boundary of District 4 is Interstate 635 and the southern boundaries are the Mt. Creek area of Dallas and the city limits of Grand Prairie.
To find out more about these and other District 4 news and upcoming projects please go to www.DallasCounty.org/department/comcrt/district4/home.php
