DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF)- Residents living in the southern sector of Dallas will now have access to COVID-19 testing.
Friday, the city of Dallas rolled out mobile testing to bring testing opportunities to those without access to transportation.
The testing will be available for zip codes with a high numbers of cases, all of them located south of I-30.
“I think some of the things that most people take for granted, these communities struggle to get,” said Terrence Maiden, CEO of a local development company, Russell Glen. “For the city of Dallas to be creative enough to bring the mobile testing to these communities speaks highly of our vision as a city,” said Maiden.
Maiden has been working on projects over the years to give these under served communities the same opportunities the rest of the city has.
“There’s similar issues when it comes to grocery stores and healthcare…people have to drive a long distance to get amenities for their families,” said Maiden.
He said the reason these areas may be experiencing higher COVID-19 numbers correlates to the lack of these opportunities.
So far, Maiden has helped to bring a grocery store to Glen Oaks Dallas, an area in south Dallas that he considered a food desert. Now, he’s taking on another project, helping to redevelop the RedBird Mall, the only mall located in southern Dallas.
“We are converting a mid 70’s mall into an urban mixed used development that will have community green space, medical, offices, retail, banking, entertainment, restaurants and urban residential, so we are really excited about this project and the impact it will have on the city,” said Maiden.
He said certain phases of the project is starting to open now, and will continue to open over the next 18-24 months.
Maiden said with all of the new development in this area, Parkland is opening a hospital clinic next year and there are plans for a UT Southwestern medical office.
“It’s definitely a start…anytime you are addressing areas that are under served, it’s a multiple pronged approach but I think we are setting a solid foundation by providing some of these amenities for this community,” he said.
You can find more information regarding the city’s mobile testing and how to book an appointment here.
