Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson visited the White House on Friday and spoke with a Trump Administration official about redevelopment of Hensley Field, a 738-acre waterfront site in southwest Dallas.
Hensley Field is a former Naval Air Station that sits inside a federal Opportunity Zone. The City of Dallas, which fully owns Hensley Field, has issued a request for qualifications for a "Re-Use and Redevelopment Master Plan" to guide future development of the site.
The Navy leased the Hensley Field site from 1949 to 1999. The City is awaiting a full environmental remediation from the Navy as part of a 2002 legal settlement.
"The redevelopment of Hensley Field is a unique economic opportunity that could produce tremendous benefits for Dallas residents," Johnson said.
Johnson discussed Hensley Field with Scott Turner, executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Turner told a group of mayors that he wanted to work with them to help spur investment in the Opportunity Zones.
Johnson and Turner served together in the Texas House of Representatives.
"I had a very productive conversation about Hensley Field," Johnson said. "I am hopeful that we can work with our federal partners to move forward with remediation of Hensley Field and transform a site with great potential into a productive economic asset for the City of Dallas."
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Hensley Field is one of 15 Opportunity Zones in Dallas. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created Opportunity Zones, which are designed to spur economic development and job creation in distressed areas.
