Downtown Garland Controversy

Having sat quiet and vacant for the past couple of years, the building at 500 Main Street is now the subject of heated debate. The former Garland Furniture store, owed by the Peavey Family, is now under contract to a potential buyer. Situated on a corner of the downtown square, it is a premier location for entertainment, a restaurant, or a retail establishment. It is our understanding that there is zoning in effect stipulating such usage of the property.

Some very nice folks, with very good intentions, or so it seems, would like to purchase the property to operate a nonprofit pregnancy center. The Source Women’s Center operates at other locations, and has now chosen this one due to its close proximity to the DART station. The group seems willing and able to pay a hefty $700K for the property. Now in retirement, the Peaveys would no doubt find this offer hard to decline.

There is already a pregnancy center operating over on Avenue D, which was formerly a home  and is now disguised as a church. How many pregnancy centers does one half mile area need? For that matter, how many tattoo shops does the area need? Obviously, Councilwoman, Deborah Morris believes that one is not enough. The Source group are good people, with good intentions, but we hope and pray that Ms. Morris succeeds in finding them a better location’ more appropriate and closer to the DART station. This woman can do anything she sets her mind to, so let’s hope she resets it toward Walnut Street.

The small businesses surrounding the downtown square have struggled to stay open during the pandemic, and need the property at 500 Main Street to fit the plan to become a destination and entertainment hub for the City of Garland. Infrastructure is now being updated to accommodate the new design for the square and a streetscape to include more outdoor seating for the eateries on Main, Sixth and State streets. That improvement represents a $17M investment, and pregnancy center in such a conspicuous location on the square would be inappropriate. 

With the kind of money they are willing to spend, and the support of Ms. Morris, The Source can surely find a location even closer to the DART station that would better serve their purposes. Instead of a nonprofit organization, Ms. Morris, it would be great if you would demonstrate some sensitivity to the small business community in downtown Garland by using your powers of persuasion to bring a more appropriate, for profit enterprise to 500 Main Street. 

Nancy Ghirla

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