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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.
The Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL this past season, but it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs. Even with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, they were unable to make up for their porous defense, finishing the season 7-9-1.
This offseason, Dallas was on a mission to fix that defense. Jerry Jones vowed he would put in the work and while they might not have an elite unit, they definitely look improved on paper.
With the biggest moves this offseason done, let’s rank the position groups for the Cowboys, which begins with the most obvious strength.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are arguably the best duo in the game, which makes this the Cowboys’ strongest position on its own. Throw in Ryan Flournoy, who had a breakout season in 2025, and it looks even better.
Dallas has depth beyond this as well, with KaVontae Turpin, who had 396 yards receiving last year, as their WR4. Even rookie seventh-round pick Anthony Smith has some upside.
Safety
Rookie Caleb Downs immediately makes this group better, but he’s not the only addition. The Cowboys also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. For good measure, they also have Malik Hooker as they turned a perennial weakness into a strength this offseason.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott carries this group, especially after another spectacular season. Behind Prescott, however, the Cowboys are still strong with Joe Milton III and Sam Howell. Either player could wind up as the QB2 and could keep the offense going in the short-term.
Defensive Line
Defensive tackle has been a weakness for years, but Jones decided that had to change. Entering 2026, Dallas has Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otitto Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, and rookie LT Overton, which is a solid group.
Offensive Line
The interior of the Dallas offensive line could make this one of the best groups overall with Cooper Beebe, Tyler Smith, and Tyler Guyton all standing out at their respective positions.
The problem is that offensive tackle has some concerns. Tyler Guyton hasn’t lived up to his draft status and Terence Steele hasn’t played up to his contract. Drew Shelton could eventually take over for one, but the rookie needs time to develop.
EDGE
There’s not an All-Pro on the edge like there was when Micah Parsons was in Dallas, but the group is much deeper this season. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and James Houston can all have big roles this season. They’re even going to try Marist Liufau on the edge, but the depth might be an issue for him.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson had eight touchdowns in 2025, which was huge. The problem is that he struggled with ball security, hardly had any yards after the catch, and finished with an average of just 7.3 yards per reception.
Luke Schoonmaker has been the TE2, but he could be pushed by Brevyn Spann-Ford. Undrafted free agent Michael Trigg is a player to watch, but he’s unlikely to produce much as a rookie.
Cornerback
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a fan of Shavon Revel, and if he can turn him into a starter, that would be huge for this position.
Right now, there are far too many questions, with the durability of DaRon Bland being chief among them.
Entering OTAs, there’s a chance free agent pickup Cobie Durant could be their best option at cornerback. He’s a solid addition, but they need someone else to step up as well.
Linebacker
We recently noted that linebacker remains the greatest need on this team. They did a great job by trading for Dee Winters and rookie Jaishawn Barham could wind up being a great fit.
That said, they need DeMarvion Overshown to stay healthy for this group to succeed. If he misses time, their lack of depth will hurt them.
Running Back
Linebacker might be the primary need, but running back comes in last here due to the concerns behind Javonte Williams.
There’s no denying that Williams is a stud. He broke out in 2025 with 1,201 yards but the depth is questionable. If second-year back Jaydon Blue improves, this position group would climb the ranks in a hurry. For now, however, there are too many question marks.
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Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
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