The former Red Bird Airport, now Dallas Executive Airport.
Last Tuesday council members Lorie Blair, Zarin Gracey, Cara Mendelsohn, and Jesse Moreno allegedly met to discuss the relocation of The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center to a new location near the Dallas Executive Airport area, located in Redbird.
Fellow council members Adam Bazaldua and Paula Blackmon have alleged that this meeting violated the Texas Open Meetings Act. Attendees included over half of the Housing & Homelessness Committee recently appointed by Mayor Eric Johnson at the end of August.
Reports have indicated that the meeting discussed the movement of The Bridge due to the upcoming FIFA World Cup to Dallas in 2026.
Erica Barnett, marketing and communications manager for The Bridge, said in an email that The Bridge does not have plans to relocate from 1818 Corsicana Street.
According to a press release, The Bridge Leadership was not invited to any of the discussions on moving their facility.
The potential relocation of The Bridge was not discussed during Wednesday’s city council meeting where contracts were approved for $5.9 million to support The Bridge’s annual operations to address homeless in the City of Dallas.
David Woody III, president and CEO of The Bridge, said that the current location has served more than 6,300 Guests, provided shelter to nearly 400 people per night and has helped hundreds of people secure housing.
“We recently learned of these reported discussions and are committed to working with any stakeholder group that is dedicated to a transparent process centered on addressing the needs of the unhoused and community priorities,” Woody said. “The Bridge is currently located in proximity to where unhoused neighbors are, providing access to recovery-oriented services.”
