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 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.”

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.

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.