Dallas ponies up $8 million for Forest Theater’s 100-year-old pipes and other outdated infrastructure 

SMU students tour the historic Forest Theater. Photo by Annette Nevins The City of Dallas took a significant step towards restoring the historic Forest Theater on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard with an $8 million grant for infrastructure updates and construction. City council members unanimously approved the community development grant last week. According to city documents, $7 million of the funding will come from the Infrastructure Investment Fund, dedicated to addressing outdated or lacking infrastructure in underserved areas; while the remaining $1 million will come from the Public-Private Partnership Fund. The Forest Theater holds a special place in the hearts of many South Dallas residents. Shirley Rhodes, who has lived in the community for more than 50 years, fondly recalled her childhood visits to the theater in the 1960s.  “As a child, that’s where I spent my Saturday mornings being entertained by movies,” she shared during public comments at the meeting. “Now we can go back to the movies, have a real restaurant, and then go up on the patio and enjoy the views of the city of Dallas.” Elizabeth Wattley, President and CEO of Forest Forward, the nonprofit leading the charge to restore the theater and revitalize the...