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Dallas considers combining bigger, regional libraries with housing, retail projects

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Dallas considers combining bigger, regional libraries with housing, retail projects


Dallas leaders are exploring ways to combine new regional libraries with affordable housing and community spaces.

City staff presented the Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee on Monday with early concepts for two library projects. The North Oak Cliff library, in District 1 in southern Dallas, and the Park Forest library, in the north side’s District 13, could serve as a mixed-use developments with housing, public amenities and updated library facilities.

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The new libraries will be open longer hours and have expanded services, city officials said.

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City Library Director Manya Shorr said the North Oak Cliff project will replace an existing library on the same site, while Park Forest will relocate to a new parcel. Both projects are still in early design and financial testing phases, and staff plan to return with more detailed recommendations, including development structures and revenue-sharing options.

The city closed the Skillman Southwestern Library weeks ago and plans to shut down four more in its move to a regional model.

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Consultants from CBRE, a commercial real estate services and investment firm, and city staff presented findings and potential models based on case studies from other cities across the country where libraries have been combined with housing or retail.

Each of the reference projects included affordable housing, with some also offering senior or market-rate units and shared amenities, such as youth spaces, job training centers or creative studios.

According to consultants, the next phase of planning will focus on testing design options against financial feasibility.

Park Forest Branch

At the Park Forest site, the team is considering whether the project could include senior housing, an option they noted may be more readily accepted by surrounding neighborhoods. They also cited the need for additional zoning consultation as the concept moves forward.

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Gay Donnell Willis, who represents the district where the library is located, expressed enthusiasm for combining libraries with housing, calling it “a way to adapt what might be right for the neighborhood and the city overall.”

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Preliminary plans for the Park Forest Branch Library in Dallas presented during the Quality...

Preliminary plans for the Park Forest Branch Library in Dallas presented during the Quality of Life, Arts and Culture committee on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.

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She emphasized that the project should remain centered on the library’s mission while exploring how a residential component might help generate revenue for ongoing operations.

Committee members discussed potential funding models, including partnerships through the city’s Housing Finance Corporation or the Public Facility Corporation, which could help leverage affordable housing incentives. They also raised questions about Senate Bill 840, a new state law affecting development height and proximity standards, noting that staff will need to assess its implications for both sites.

North Oak Cliff Branch

Council member Chad West, who represents North Oak Cliff, underscored the importance of community design, including access to green space and outdoor gathering areas. He noted that the surrounding area is considered a park desert and one of the city’s heat islands.

“There needs to be, even if it’s small, some type of incorporated green space,” West said.

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Council members voiced broad support for continuing the work, while emphasizing transparency with residents, maintaining the character of the neighborhoods and a clear focus on the libraries themselves.

Preliminary plans for the North Oak Cliff Branch Library in Dallas presented during the...

Preliminary plans for the North Oak Cliff Branch Library in Dallas presented during the Quality of Life, Arts and Culture committee on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.

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The next Quality of Life, Arts and Culture committee will be on Nov. 17 at 9 a.m.



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Dallas shooting injures 2 as police search for suspect

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Dallas shooting injures 2 as police search for suspect


Dallas police are searching for a shooting suspect after two people were shot early Saturday morning.

The shooting incident happened around 6:30 a.m. when Dallas officers responded to a shooting call in the 7600 block of South Central Expressway, where two people had been shot.

Officials said one victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition by Dallas Fire-Rescue. The other was transported by private vehicle in stable condition.

No arrests have been made as of Saturday afternoon, according to Dallas Police.

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The shooting investigation is ongoing and this story will be updated as we learn more.



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All-day restaurant and patio coming to Dallas’ Knox and more top stories

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All-day restaurant and patio coming to Dallas’ Knox and more top stories


UPDATE 6-26-2026: Gracie has been found about four miles south of the Cedar Hollow Ranch, according to a Facebook update from Real County Animal Rescue. Ranch manager Vic Jones has assembled a team to safely bring the wandering giraffe home.

A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas, and the search for her has become a tall order.

Gracie, who is about 3 years old, has been missing for nearly two weeks after escaping her enclosure at Cedar Hollow Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, said Vic Jones, who owns the remote property about 100 miles west of San Antonio. He said Wednesday, June 24 that Gracie had wandered into a part of the privately owned preserve that other giraffes previously avoided.

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Jones said he has sent up helicopters to look for Gracie, a few sightings have trickled in, and a $5,000 reward is on the table.

But the giraffe, which stands roughly the height of a tree, hasn’t turned up.

“She wound up going up and feeding in an area on the hillside and the rocky ledges that none of the other giraffes had ever gone on before,” Jones said. “And when she came down off of there, she came down on the wrong side of the gate.”

The ranch is in rural Real County, where its roughly 2,700 residents were put on alert to be on the lookout for a missing giraffe. Jones said the search area is extremely remote, and the likelihood of Gracie encountering any humans is low.

“People are not in danger of her because she’s not around people,” Jones said. ‘She’s out in very, very rough, heavily wooded lands.”

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The Texas Hill Country has one of the largest concentrations of exotic captive animals in the country. Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson said the mild climate and rugged terrain seems to serve as a good stand-in for most of the animals’ native African environments.

He rattled off a list of animals that have gone missing over the years, especially after floods, but said this was his first giraffe.

“I’ve had wildebeests, I’ve had water buffalo, I’ve had monkeys, I’ve had zebras, all go missing,” Johnson said. “Sometimes we recover them, and sometimes we don’t.”

While the middle of Texas is not a giraffe’s native environment, Jones said Gracie should be able to find plenty of leaves and other vegetation to eat. He said other animals were not likely to bother her.

Jones said he initially had helicopters searching an area of about 7,500 acres (3,000 hectares) with no luck. A few days later, there was a report that Gracie was spotted to the south.

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But by the time they could search the area, Jones said, she was already gone.

“We’re always two three days late for where the information is coming from, so that makes it tough,” Jones said.



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How to buy Egypt vs. Australia World Cup soccer tickets

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How to buy Egypt vs. Australia World Cup soccer tickets



Egypt takes on the Socceroos on Friday, July 3. See ticket prices for Dallas

Editor’s note: See all updated scenarios for the 2026 World Cup tournament bracket

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The most volatile group has come to a close at the 2026 World Cup.

Egypt and Iran played to a 1-1 draw late on Friday night, which allowed Belgium to rise up from third place all the way to the top spot in the group while Egypt took second. Iran will have to wait and see if their third place finish is good enough to qualify for the knockout round.

As the Group G runner up, Egypt will take on Australia in the round of 32.

SHOP: Egypt vs. Australia 2026 World Cup tickets

Australia finished as the second-place team in Group D, sitting on four points. Egypt and Australia will face off in Dallas on Friday, July 3, the final match of the round of 32.

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Here is everything you need to know in order to buy Egypt vs. Australia World Cup tickets.

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Egypt vs. Australia round of 32 World Cup tickets

As of publication, the cheapest ticket to attend the Egypt vs. Australia costs $834. Lower-level seats for the round of 32 match at AT&T Stadium in Dallas start at $1,083.

Egypt World Cup next opponent

Egypt will take on Australia in the round of 32. Australia finished as the runner up in Group D, finishing the group stage with one win, one draw and one loss.

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Egypt World Cup schedule

  • June 15 – Egypt vs. Belgium at Lumen Field in Seattle – DRAW 1-1
  • June 21 – Egypt vs. New Zealand at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver – WIN 3-1
  • June 26 – Egypt vs. Iran at Lumen Field in Seattle – DRAW 1-1
  • Friday, July 3 – Australia vs. Group G runner up at AT&T Stadium in Dallas (round of 32) – Shop tickets

World Cup Group G Standings

TEAM POINTS RECORD
Belgium 5 1-2-0
Egypt 5 1-2-0
Iran 3 0-3-0
New Zealand 1 0-1-2

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Australia World Cup schedule

  • Australia vs. Turkey – WIN 2-0
  • Australia vs. United States – LOSS 2-0
  • Australia vs. Paraguay – DRAW 1-1
  • Friday, July 3 – Australia vs. Group G runner up at AT&T Stadium in Dallas (round of 32) – Shop tickets

World Cup Group D Standings

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