DALLAS — The historic Forest Theater renovations are moving forward with an $8 million grant approved by the Dallas City Council Wednesday.
The 75-year-old theater in South Dallas at 1918 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard has hosted performances by the likes of Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, B.B. King and Erykah Badu, and has sat vacant for around 15 years until the nonprofit Forest Forward took over the theater in 2017.
The theater is undergoing an $81 million renovation. Construction on the project began this spring and includes the restoration of the 500-seat theater, a 28,000-square-foot expansion with a 175-seat black box theater, and additional spaces such as a café and rooftop deck.
“This project brings a cherished asset back to life while creating jobs and cultural opportunities for our community,” said Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua.
The resolution passed by the city council says the city found “the project is not financially feasible without an offer of economic development incentives from the city.”
The grant will go to Forest Forward to support the project. Of the grant, $7 million comes from the city’s infrastructure investment fund and $1 million comes from the Public Private Partnership fund, a 2023 initiative aimed at targeted development in underserved areas, according to city documents.
“Forest Theater’s revitalization will strengthen South Dallas economically and culturally,” said Forest Forward President Elizabeth Wattley.
The theater is a designated landmark and Council member Omar Narvaez said the North Central Texas Council of Governments has also contributed funding to help make the area more walkable and improve transportation there.
“This is an amazing project and I’m just so happy it’s not being torn down and it’s being brought back to life,” Narvaez said. “It’s not the typical Dallas way of doing things, but this is the way we should be protecting those gems that we have.”
