"Lake Dallas' vision is to be a proud community with unique charm, built on strong family and community values, with exciting lakeside, recreational and tourism assets supported by a diverse and profitable business base."
topWhat's old is new again in the charming quiet lakeside community of Lake Dallas, just north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. A new bridge linking Lake Dallas and Little Elm and the North Dallas Tollway and a revitalized downtown area are attracting attention from developers, business owners and residents alike. But neither concept is completely new. A bridge over Lewisville Lake once provided a vital transportation link between Lake Dallas and Little Elm. That bridge was removed decades ago to make way for an expanded lake project.
A new toll bridge to be built by the North Texas Tollway Authority will cross the northwestern arm of Lewisville Lake. The bridge will connect Swisher Road in Lake Dallas with Garza Lane in Little Elm. When complete, motorists will be able to get from I-35E to the Dallas North Tollway and vise versa. The project will once again provide a vital transportation link between Lake Dallas and Little Elm. The conceptual design of the project entails eight sections that, together, total 13 miles.
Much of the land leading up to the Lake Dallas side of the bridge has prime development potential for retail and commercial venture and will be just minutes from I-35E. A six-lane thoroughfare will handle the traffic from I-35E to the bridge.
A revitalized downtown area is in the works with a new urban zoning classification that allows the newly popular concept of commercial space on the first floor and residential lofts upstairs. While other cities are just beginning to embrace the idea, it's been going on in Lake Dallas for decades in the historic and recently renovated 1908 Woodman of the World building that now houses the community newspaper, The Lake Cities Sun, on the first floor and residential lofts above.
Several new developments are planned for the downtown area including Market Street Square, another similarly designed concept of commercial/residential spaces. Phase One will include 8,000 square feet with another 16,000 square feet to be built.
The city is encouraging and helping to develop its downtown area into a tree-lined, thriving area of historically accurate brick buildings filled with shops, restaurants, offices and living spaces.
This not-so-new concept will be added to an already unique area of small shops, delicious restaurants (including the famous Duck Inn), community parks, churches and a new municipal complex that houses the city hall, police department and a new community center. Lewisville Lake is only a short walk from any point in the city. The lake boasts a marina, swimming beaches, boat launches, picnicking and a new overnight camping facility at Willow Grove Park, operated by the city. Progress is being assisted by an extremely pro-active city including council members, planning and zoning commission members and hard-working economic development committees.
But the progress doesn't stop there. An expanded 1-35E will provide better access to Lake Dallas. New on-ramps and exits on 1-35E will also assist motorist with access to Lake Dallas.
While growth is embraced in this close-knit community of 6,400, there's no plans for dropping the small town charm that started when the community was known as Garza and then when the town changed its name to Lake Dallas in 1929. It's a progressive city with tremendous potential and grand ideas backed by a city that's dedicated to quality development.
Lake Dallas is a resort community on the shores of Lewisville Lake ten miles south of Denton in southeastern Denton County. The site was occupied in 1852. The area offered water, timber, and farmland, and the community that developed in the vicinity was originally called French Settlement, after the family named French who settled there. In 1881 the community was more formally constituted and adopted the name Garza, the origin of which is in dispute. Garza may have been the chief of a crew that laid track for the Dallas and Wichita Railway, which built through the area in 1881. In 1926 or 1929, after the impoundment of Lake Dallas, the residents of the town renamed their community Lake Dallas. The community's population increased from 489 in 1940 to 1,431 in 1970, reflecting the additional use of the Garza-Little Elm Reservoir (now Lewisville Lake), the waters of which covered the original lake. In 1965, after a nine-year legal struggle among its residents, Lake Dallas was finally incorporated. By 1980 its population had grown to 3,177, largely because of the economic growth in the area between Dallas and Denton. The 2000 Census estimated a population of 6,166.
