Davis Street Market, the retail/residential development that neighbor Rick Garza is planning for West Davis at Van Buren, is expected to go before City Council for tax increment financing approval next week. The city’s economic development committee approved $4 million in tax reimbursements for the project this week.

Garza told the Dallas Morning News he is still working to secure financing for the project but would like to start construction as early as mid-2013.

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In other real estate news, Kidd Springs neighbors blocked a plan to rezone a property at Bishop and Neely this week. Property owners Mark Miranda and Craig Schenkel can reapply for a zoning change in two years.

We asked neighbors what they thought of Davis Street Market’s preliminary design. Some of their answers are after the jump.

It looks great! It will at first look a bit out of place, but hopefully a good sign of other things to come!
—Corina Bautista Tijerina

When Oak Cliff looks like every other neighborhood, there will be nothing special about Oak Cliff.
—Bradley J. Metcalf

It looks like Uptown to me. Not at all like Oak Cliff. Very disappointing.
—Robbie Dawson Christopher

Looks very beige.
—Robert M. Peacock

The aesthetics are a bit off for the neighborhood, but I’ll take public spaces over vacant lots where people dump their garbage any day.
—Barry Binder

Got a peek at Rick’s plans awhile back and really like how he’s placed consideration on public space, parking and a host of mixed commercial and rental … Not too keen on the exterior use of stone, and yes, it will stick out if all goes to his plan with the way it will look, but overall the project will lend to the economic growth of Davis and the development of Davis as a complete street. This is something that you haven’t seen in Uptown or anywhere else in Dallas. I hope everyone here who has commented takes the time to really look at the entirety of his plans. He’s a local guy (who has restored) much of Kings Highway’s original and historical multifamily housing. I’m not saying all of this because he lives in my neighborhood but because I feel very good that it’s a good project for OUR neighborhood.
—Jonathan Braddick

Rick Garza is my landlord on Kings Highway, and he knows more about creating community than most developers. I trust his professional judgement without question, both as a neighborhood preservationist and a long, long, long-time Kings Highway resident. Viva Davis Street Market!
—Kent Boyer

The snow capped mountains in the distance are a nice touch, but where are the bike racks?
—Josh Hammertimez

I am really over the really tall storefront space. The gateway and the architectural details are not really that unique to the area and don’t take much of the feel of Oak Cliff into account. Sadly I do feel like I am looking at something that could be in Plano… no Victory… no wait… Arlington… no no… Addison… no wait. All of those places.
—Erik Schuessler

I don’t mind the mixed use of the space. I just wish architecturally it fit into the neighborhood better.
—Margaret Wright

It is not an issue of “fitting into the neighborhood.” The Guggenheim Museum in New York did not fit into its neighborhood (still doesn’t) nor do many retail developments in New York, Seattle, London, etc. I don’t understand the thinking, “We don’t want to look like a suburb but everything here must fit in architecturally. Urban neighborhoods typically are a huge mishmash of architectural styles, side by side. That said, the look of this is, to my eyes, very suburban Tucson. And how come a new restaurant on North Bishop right next to Kidd Springs was absolutely not OK, but this five-story monstrosity right next to one story homes is? Do. not. understand.
—Jeff Herrington

Love the concept and plans of the development but feel the design is a bit grandiose for its location. It doesn’t seem to really take into account its context (a problem for many Dallas architecture projects). There could have been more transition to the neighborhood by having the building step down on the back side, maybe to tow- or three-story townhomes.
—Robbie Good