A nonprofit has purchased a shuttered recreation center in one of Oak Cliff’s neglected pockets with plans for an $8-million renovation.
Behind Every Door acquired the 50-year-old Cedar Crest Community Center, which the Salvation Army previously owned until it closed in 2019 due to financial cuts.
The community center, at 1007 Hutchins Road, comprises 8 acres and includes a 20,000-square-foot community center with a basketball court and workout center, a 4,000-square-foot chapel, a football field and a playground.
It will serve the estimated 2,000 children and teens who live in the neighborhood, including adjacent apartments. The property is less than half a mile from Roosevelt High School and Cedar Crest Elementary.
East Dallas-based Behind Every Door, which started in 2009 and runs two other community centers in Dallas, plans to complete the renovations next year, starting with the chapel and community center and then the outdoor amenities.
The nonprofit is partnering with TREC Dallas, Veritex Community Bank, Troy Aikman, Jordan Spieth, and Clayton Kershaw.
“The Cedar Crest Community Center is such an incredible asset to our city and a vital resource for the kids growing up in the area,” says Will Dowell, chief executive officer of Behind Every Door, in a media release. “Together we can invest in this neighborhood to help raise healthy children, strengthen families and develop independent adults. Behind Every Door is honored to be able to restore this fixture of the community so that it can be used for years and years to come.”
Find more photos of the property and details of their plans here.
