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Barriers will be put up again on Friday and Saturday nights and some streets in Deep Ellum will be closed.
It is a response from the Dallas police to the recent violence and to traffic and visitors to the State Fair of Texas.
However, some business people complain that road closures are very bad for business when trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bucky Moonshines Restaurant and Bar is located on a section of Elm Street that was closed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings last weekend.
“We’re not going to survive, and I’ll bet ten stores will close in six months if they stay that way,” said Ivan Pugh, owner of Bucky Moonshines.
He closed the store for another day last week to save money after last weekend’s losses. Pugh said more than a dozen of his employees left with so few customers.
“They said we just can’t make any money. And they are gone. You will go to a neighborhood where the police won’t close, ”Pugh said.
Elm Street restaurant is located near the spot on Malcolm X Boulevard where six people were shot on September 19th. Two of the victims died. It came after other violent crimes in the area.
On September 20, Chief Eddie Garcia said the Dallas police would not tolerate the violence.
“We will respond appropriately and make sure we have a presence in this area and make sure customers feel safe,” said Garcia.
At an event where Dallas was named a Texas Music Friendly Community this week, Mayor Eric Johnson said he was alarmed by the recent crime in Deep Ellum.
“I support our police chief doing what he must to restore order to this area and make it safe for everyone who is there,” said Johnson.
City Councilor Jesse Moreno represents Deep Ellum. Moreno said he worked on the issues with a task force made up of businesses, residents and city officials.
“We want to make sure the bar owners are promoting their business and letting customers know that they are safe in Deep Ellum,” said Moreno. “Even when the streets are closed, Deep Ellum is a welcoming place. We just won’t tolerate violence. “
Moreno said one goal of the road closure is to make the neighborhood feel safer for pedestrians, like 6th Street in Austin.
Unlike some cities that allow drinking on closed streets, Dallas police last weekend also enforced laws on open containers for people walking around.
According to Deep Ellum Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Keller Hudiberg, the district counts on visitors with live music seven nights a week.
“Deep Ellum is a very dynamic district, so not only our traffic plan and mobility plan, but also our safety plan must be dynamic,” she said. “We had a very productive meeting this week. We meet monthly and have spoken to law enforcement about last weekend’s closings and you will see something different this weekend. “
Instead of closing the Main and Elm at 7 p.m., the streets will be closed at 10 p.m. after the restaurant is over in the early evening.
“If it’s ten o’clock we can save it,” said Pugh.
However, he is also betting on the parking lot business for the late night crowd and the closure of Elm Street will prevent future access to his parking lot.
Pugh said the solution to the violence at Deep Ellum shouldn’t be to eliminate visitors for companies already struggling.
A spokesman said Dallas police plan to keep some streets in Deep Ellum closed for at least the State Fair of Texas over the weekend and then evaluate next steps.
Councilor Moreno said the city will work with business owners to ensure they aren’t caught off guard by security changes in the future.
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