Hotel Miramar at 1950 Fort Worth Ave., Nov. 11, 2021. Photo by Rachel Stone.
Updated 3/8: The headline of this article was changed from “homeless housing” to “transitional housing” to reflect that the 1950 Fort Worth Avenue facility will be a supportive housing facility, not a shelter.Â
The Hotel Miramar, once a hot bed for crime and 911 calls in North Oak Cliff, is planned to become a supportive housing facility for the formerly homeless. But the city now needs to find a service provider for the facility, which is referred to as 1950 Fort Worth Avenue by city staff, after the Dallas non-profit CitySquare pulled out of agreements to manage the project.
CitySquare exited the project this past winter following leadership changes and a refocusing of their organization’s mission.
The search for a new provider is a chance for city employees to work with community members on the neighborhood’s vision for the facility, and to translate that community input into the bid for the project that will be listed in the provider search, said City Councilman Chad West.
The provider bid — which is called a request for proposal or an RFP — is now in a reworking stage as city staff gets ready to release it.
Jennifer Snow, the District 1 Citizen Homelessness Commissioner, said the RFP reworking will allow for the facility plans to emphasize special consideration for veterans or the elderly, two groups that community members have expressed interest in serving.
“This property could eventually be connected to the community in ways that are meaningful for all of us,” Snow said.
Changes to the RFP do not impact the existing Good Neighbor Agreement or the specific use permit (SUP) for the land which was approved last spring.
Christine Crossley, director of the Office of Homeless Solutions, said the SUP outlines the parameters for what can be in the space and reflects conditions listed in the Good Neighbor Agreement.
“Once a provider is selected, they will have to go forward with the SUP as it is,” said Crossley.
If a provider violates the Good Neighbor Agreement, the city is able to pull funding from the facility until the provider complies, Crossley said.
The city is also in the process of looking for a contractor that will undertake the construction and renovations for the building. Crossley said the building was taken down to stud during an asbestos remediation, and the city has $2.345 million earmarked for the renovations.
The contractor RFP closed at the end of January, and the contract award will begin working its way through the city process this spring. Approving a contractor is currently on the April City Council agenda.
Because renovations will begin before a new provider is selected and approved by the City Council, the Dallas non-profit Housing Forward will act as a provider expert for the developer throughout the construction process.
