A major milestone in the transformation of Irving’s Lamar-Brown neighborhood will be celebrated with a community groundbreaking ceremony June 6 at 10 a.m. at the corner of Crandall Road and Tudor Lane (across the street from Lamar Middle School, 219 Crandall Road). The groundbreaking event signals the ceremonial kick-off to the construction of 27 single-family homes, resulting from the City of Irving’s concentrated effort to improve the neighborhood for the hundreds of kids who attend Lamar Middle School.
Attending the groundbreaking ceremony will be Texas State Representative Linda Harper Brown, Irving Housing and Human Services Board Chair James Dickens, and other key representatives who have contributed to the redevelopment of the Tudor Lane community.
“This is a meaningful project for the area,” said City Manager Tommy Gonzalez. “A neighborhood previously known for crime is evolving into a clean, safe neighborhood for families.”
“I have been an administrator at Lamar for 18 years and have seen this neighborhood change greatly over the years, and I look forward to seeing and experiencing the completed project,” said Lamar Middle School Principal Rocci Malone. “The City of Irving has been supportive and has driven positive change to the area around our school.”
Necessary steps on the road to the transformation of Tudor Lane included the city’s removal of substandard multifamily units plagued with criminal activity and a move by City Council to partner with local housing developers to renew the area.
“As a result of the steps taken by the City of Irving to revitalize the two-block stretch of Tudor Lane, crime in the neighborhood has decreased by more than 70 percent in the past three years,” said Police Chief Larry Boyd.
Coming to the Lamar-Brown neighborhood are 14 single-family attached homes and 13 single-family detached homes. Homebuyers will have the option to customize the energy efficient three-bedroom, two-bath homes with a choice of flooring and paint colors.
“The next step in this redevelopment effort is the creation of a model block community of single-family homes,” said Community Resources Director Chris Hooper. “When people care about their communities, it is a win for the residents, the kids who attend school in the neighborhood and the city at large.”
