Dallas College has joined an effort to revitalize a key retail location and its surrounding neighborhoods in the southwest Oak Cliff area of Dallas by becoming a partner at The Shops at RedBird. The partnership includes the founding of an educational center that will serve residents through a staff of certified instructors and workforce placement specialists working to meet the area’s employment and other needs.
The Shops at RedBird (formerly Red Bird Mall) is a mixed-use development, located at Interstate 20 and State Highway 67, that features high-quality office, medical, retail, housing and educational facilities. Tenants at The Shops at RedBird already include Parkland Hospital, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Children’s Health, Chime Solutions, Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas, the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC), Jarvis Christian College, Frost Bank, Foot Locker, Fuzzy’s Tacos and Starbucks, with more tenants on the way.
The new Dallas College Workforce Development Training Center will occupy approximately 22,000 square feet and will bring educational and workforce opportunities to the area where Dallas College already has two campuses — Mountain View and Cedar Valley. Dallas College Chancellor Justin Lonon has long advocated for projects that support the college’s strategic priority to transform lives and improve the employment outlook for southern Dallas residents.
“Career training serves the needs of everyone who wants to build a better life by honing their skills for a high-demand job,” said Dr. Lonon. “In an increasingly competitive educational landscape, it’s vital that we have a strong presence in the community and be engaged in partnerships like The Shops at RedBird.”
With a critical mass of community partners, employers and resources being located there, Dallas College saw it as a win-win opportunity.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dallas College to the RedBird family,” said Peter Brodsky, RedBird’s majority owner. “The RedBird development is focused on providing the quality amenities that southern Dallas residents want and deserve, whether that is a medical facility, office space or a place to shop or eat. Dallas College is bringing to RedBird something that is needed in every community — opportunity. We could not be happier to have them.”
Dallas College also has plans to add training for heavy equipment operators, avionics maintenance technicians, logistics and mechatronics. The additions will make high-valued, credentialed training opportunities accessible to southern Dallas residents while meeting the demands of employers through a center that is equipped with flexible classroom space, workstations and computer labs.
“Although the training is still in the planning phase for RedBird, Dallas College plans to offer adult basic education, information technology courses and cutting-edge training there,” said Gloria Smith, Dallas College’s vice chancellor of career-connected learning. “The training promises to be transformative. The center will be responsive to the economic ecosystem of the surrounding area, too. We want to train residents to compete for jobs close to where they live, creating opportunities for them to participate in and benefit from the economic impact the overall RedBird development will have in the revitalization of the area.”
Dallas College will provide its programming in partnership with Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas. It will also collaborate with business and industry partners to develop and train its existing workforce talent pipeline.
“In our third year in residence, we know RedBird is one of the most significant resources in our southern community,” said Laurie Bouillion Larrea, president of Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, which will be working closely with Dallas College at RedBird. “The presence of Dallas College is a formidable addition to this community engine.”
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas will also serve as a partner for the Dallas College Workforce Development Training Center, according to Ashley Douglas, senior director of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Southern Dallas Thrives initiative. The organization will create a community hub at the new campus that will provide key resources to Dallas College students and the community at large, while also expanding resource opportunities to participants in the center’s workforce training programs.
A key part of Dallas College’s mission is to give people equitable access to an education that qualifies them for rewarding job opportunities by allowing them to enroll in courses at Dallas College, said Cliff Boyd, a member of the Dallas College Board of Trustees who advocated for Dallas College joining RedBird. “With the expansion of our mission to RedBird, we are creating opportunities close to where they live.”
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