The Charco Broiler steer is a landmark some think is worth protecting. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)
We spent months last year getting to know the people and businesses of Jefferson Boulevard.
The quinceañera shops, a now-bygone fix-it man, the Hispanics who kept the boulevard in business for decades after Anglos flooded to the suburbs.
Jefferson Boulevard is the best street in Dallas, and there are some who are revitalizing it — Jim Lake Cos., which breathed life into Jefferson Tower. Barak Epstein and company who are making culture at the Texas Theatre and Top Ten Records. The Sanchez family, whose El Ranchito has been a source of unique entertainment and community gatherings for decades.
And the city of Dallas is spending $2 million to makeover a couple of blocks on Jefferson.
At the same time, permissive zoning passed in 2014 makes it possible to tear down old buildings and build as high as 20 stories. There’s not much in place specifically to protect Jefferson’s historic structures.
Find more of our reporting on Jefferson here.
