REQUESTER AND NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR: City of Dallas
LOCATION: The project is located on the Trinity River in Dallas County, in the City of Dallas, Texas.
BACKGROUND: Dallas Floodway Extension is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) federally authorized Civil Works project for the purpose of flood risk management subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
The Cadillac Heights Levee will require disturbance of a National Register-eligible historic archaeological site, 41DL584, that consists of a contaminated trash dump. 41DL584 is eligible under the National Register of Historic Place’s Criterion A for Social History (social, environmental, and civil rights movements).
Additionally, site 41DL584 contributes to the Cadillac Heights Historic District, which is composed of residential and commercial properties linked to the Dallas Floodway extension levee (anticipated construction by 2031). The district is historically significant at the national level for its associations under Criterion A in the areas of Social History (social, environmental and civil rights movements), and Community Planning/Development (the land use policy of redlining).
USACE has determined that the site shall not be directly adversely affected by the undertaking. However, USACE has determined that the setting and feeling of site 41DL584 will be indirectly adversely affected through the urban development that is anticipated to occur throughout the Cadillac Heights Historic District once the area is no longer subject to frequent flooding. Due to the presence of hazardous materials on site, the USACE is seeking ways to mitigate these adverse effects without causing unnecessary exposure to cultural resources personnel.
USACE proposes to convey the narrative of the Cadillac Heights Historic District to the general public through a bound, illustrated, and annotated report to be physically deposited in local libraries and electronically distributed via the USACE website, which will be accessible through QR codes displayed on City of Dallas exhibit panels planned for the park. The park will be constructed where the Cadillac Heights neighborhood once stood before the City of Dallas’ buyouts due to lead contamination. Other mitigative efforts, such as the documentation of structures and oral histories, will be incorporated into the report that will expand on themes associated with the district’s significance.
SOLICITATION OF COMMENTS: USACE is soliciting comments from all parties having an interest in the undertaking’s effect on historic properties. Comments supporting, opposing, or identifying concerns with the proposed mitigation methods or results will be considered by the USACE.
CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: Written comments are requested on or before the close of the comment period on May 15, 2025. Comments should reference the project name.
Comments and requests for additional information should be submitted to CESWF-PEE-E, ATTN: Ms. Alyxandra Connell, P.O. Box 17300, Fort Worth, TX 76102-0300, or by email to Alyxandra.L.Connell@usace.army.mil. Please note that names and addresses of those who submit comments in response to this public notice may be made publicly available.