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Dallas, TX
South Dallas’ proposed ‘Winners Tower’ loses at city planning hearing

A proposed 25-story high rise in South Dallas was denied by the city planning commission Thursday, a significant roadblock for the project.
Winners Tower, at 1709 Martin Luther King Blvd on the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd and Colonial Avenue, is planned to include a hotel, condos, retail and parking. The project was proposed by Raphael Adebayo, the pastor at Winners Assembly Christian Church and the property’s current owner.
The sign of Winners Plaza is seen past Dallas Pastor Raphael Adebayo as he gives a tour of the complex, on Thursday, July 3, 2025 in Dallas. He is after the zoning commission for permission to redevelop his church into a 25-story luxury tower with a 150-160 room hotel, 60 condos and ground floor retail.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
The tower needs a significant zoning change to the land parcel, which includes the church and surrounding retail strip, to move forward.
The commission heard public comment, including from associates of Adebayo, but they ultimately passed a motion to deny the zoning change request with prejudice.
The tower’s proponents voiced support for what they perceived as a radical new vision for the underserved South Dallas community. They cited job creation and innovation as reasons for the board to approve the project.
“When we talk about the revitalization of the South Dallas community, we wanna do things from ground up,” said Christopher Walker, the community engagement manager of Abounding Propserity, a non-profit that is currently a tenant of the land in question.
“As a tenant, and as someone who’s seen the spirit of Winners Assembly by being connected to Pastor Raphael and the staff, I’ve seen their passion and the purity they have to create these opportunities for those folks of this area,” he continued.
“This is an opportunity to create something new, to be innovative, and to create something different that’s needed.”
The two available renderings of Winners Tower, which is the 25-story high-rise being proposed at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Colonial Avenue.
Winners Development Corporation
However, board member Tabitha Wheeler-Reagan, who initially motioned to deny the proposal, cited a lack of community engagement from the applicants. She challenged the idea the project was actually for South Dallas residents.
“There are services that you offer that are beneficial to the community. But this project does not serve this community. This project serves other communities,” Wheeler-Reagan said during the hearing.
Concerns were raised about the height of the building, the price of the condos inside and how it fit in — or didn’t — with the historic character of the neighborhood.
“I cannot support this proposal, not because I’m not against growth, but because I believe growth must be rooted in respect, accountability and community,” according to board member Darrell Herbert, who seconded the motion.
“This structure is out of scale and out of step with the neighborhood’s historic character. It threatens to overshadow, not just physically, but symbolically, the homes, families and culture that define South Dallas,” he continued.
The initial plan for the project was 25 stories, but the applicants were willing to bring it down to 15 to quell concerns over the height of the building. City staff recommended granting a zoning change that would have allowed a multi-use project to move forward but that limited the tower to about five stories.
The applicants cited a 13-story apartment building less than a half-mile away as precedent for approving such a project, but Winners Tower would be a first-of-its-kind undertaking in the surrounding area because of its size and scoop.
Still, the applicants argued that it was in line with certain plans for the area.
“The proposed height will not be out of character with the evolving skyline of the area and will create a visual gateway to the MLK corridor,” said Esther Adebayo, daughter of Raphael Adebayo, and a representative of the project at the hearing.
“We believe that this project supports multiple goals of the South Dallas Fair Park Economic Development Plan [of] 2001 and the Forward Dallas comprehensive plan,” she added.
The proposal has an estimated cost of around $250 million, and Adebayo has previously announced his plans to get funding partly from EB-5 visa holders, who must invest a minimum of $800,000 in the U.S. and create 10 jobs. He has been buying up land since 2007, and Winners Assembly opened 21 years ago.
At the hearing, Adebayo and others tied to him said that several retailers and prospective tenants were already on board with the project.
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Adebayo spoke at the hearing, but could not be reached for additional comment following the denial.
The applicants can still appeal, including an appeal to City Council. The Council would need a three-fourths supermajority to overturn the planning commission’s denial and approve the rezoning.

Dallas, TX
Texas shopper fatally shot outside PetSmart after dispute over not saying ‘thank you’: officials

A woman in Texas was shot and killed in a PetSmart parking lot after an argument over not saying “thank you” for opening the door, according to police.
Cecilia Simpson, 41, was shot several times outside a PetSmart in Dallas on Tuesday at around 1 p.m., Dallas police told FOX 4.
A witness told police that Simpson held the door open for Keona Zachyua Hampton, 22, at a Five Below store, an arrest affidavit states.
Simpson allegedly became irritated that Hampton didn’t thank her for holding the door open, triggering an argument. Simpson and her daughter went to their car and drove to PetSmart, which was in the same plaza.
When Simpson and her daughter entered the PetSmart store, she told employees they were being followed by Hampton.
Hampton allegedly walked into the store and began arguing with Simpson’s daughter.
Hampton exited the store, but returned a few minutes later, when she allegedly started another argument with Simpson.
After being asked to leave the store, Hampton allegedly threw a bottle at the vehicle Simpson was driving with her daughter in it.
According to police, a physical fight then ensued when Hampton took out a handgun and allegedly shot Simpson three times.
Hampton was arrested on Tuesday night during a traffic stop and admitted she got into an argument with Simpson, but claimed she only took out the gun when the situation became physical.
Hampton was booked into jail on a murder charge.
Her bail hasn’t been set.
An ER nurse who saw the incident told FOX 4 her perspective on what happened.
“The shooter was saying, ‘Come outside. Let’s handle this outside. Let’s fight outside.’ And the mom and daughter were just telling her to like go away,” she said. “The mother and daughter tried to get in the car to de-escalate the situation but the lady wasn’t having it. They started to fight and that’s when the lady pulled out her gun and shot her.”
The nurse said she performed CPR before paramedics arrived.
“The daughter was next to the mom the whole time. It’s hard, you know, because the screaming of a child for her mother is never easy and it’s never going to leave my head,” she said.
“I’ve been trying not to cry, but just like, you know, being in high school, my mom was such an important person in my life and she’s the reason I became a nurse. My whole family is.”
Dallas, TX
CeeDee Lamb injury update is positive news as rehab work ramps up

The Dallas Cowboys are picking up their preparations for a Week 6 showdown with the Carolina Panthers as the NFL regular season rolls on.
During Thursday’s practice session that was open to the media, there was a positive sign regarding star receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb has been recovering from a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 3, which has kept him from taking the field for the Week 4 tie with the Green Bay Packers and the dominant Week 5 win over the New York Jets.
MORE: Kay Adams shares unbelievable stat on Cowboys RB Javonte Williams’ start to season
While he has missed the past two games, Lamb has been seen back on the practice field without a walking boot and has been ramping up his rehab work.
According to Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News, there “was definitely an acceleration in his rehabilitation work” as he continued his work on the resistance chords.
As for when Lamb could return to the field, Hoyt noted, “Feels like next Sunday against Washington is more of a target for Lamb than this Sunday, IMO.”
MORE: Dak Prescott named among top NFL MVP candidates amid storm of offensive injuries
Before Lamb went down with his injury, he hauled in 16 catches for 222 yards.
Returning against the Commanders in Week 7 would be great news for Dallas, with All-Pro playmaker KaVontae Turpin also targeting a return against the division rival, so let’s hope neither player suffers any setbacks.
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Dallas, TX
Ben Gleason with a Goal vs. Dallas Stars

Ex-Dallas Stars Goalie Signs Try-Out With New Jersey DevilsOver the past several years, the Dallas Stars have put an emphasis on signing undrafted free agents, including between the pipes. Names like Landon Bow, Matt Murray and most recently prospect Ben Kraws are just some of the undrafted goaltenders the Stars signed to their system over the past decade.
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