Rachel Proctor, Mayor, City of DeSoto

Rachel Proctor, mayor of DeSoto, spoke with Invest: about her diverse, multifaceted goals for the city, including continued dedication to arts and culture, construction of an aquatic center with Olympic-sized pools, development of a downtown corridor and affordable housing efforts.

What makes DeSoto stand out as a unique city in Texas, and what drives DeSoto’s continued economic growth?

Growing up in DeSoto, I’ve seen the town evolve over time while maintaining a steady level of excellence. The city fosters a spirit of arts and culture and even created a master plan to generate new opportunities for artists to thrive, and I see our city becoming a center in our region for arts and culture.

What initiatives have you championed to bolster economic growth and resilience in arts and culture?

We created an artist lab which provides grants to artists like musicians and painters. The artist’s job is to go out into our community and input art into different areas of life. For example, one artist painted at the senior center with elderly residents. They can play an instrument in the library lobby or invite other people to participate in an art project. The goal is to incorporate the arts into every aspect of life.

What strategies are being implemented to attract new businesses and investments to DeSoto, and what sectors are you particularly targeting for growth?

DeSoto has created incredible neighborhoods, and this is one of the main reasons people move here. We are now contending with both an aging population and a younger population, so the city has to focus on becoming intergenerational in the way that we attract people to our communities and create opportunities for new residents.

We have been looking into diversifying our housing stock. That could mean townhomes where individuals can have ownership of those homes or smaller retirement communities for senior citizens. Progress moves at the speed of relationships, so we need to ensure we are an effective partner for developers. We need to have the right partnerships and the right vision, and we have doubled down on our strategic priorities.

What steps is DeSoto taking to ensure that housing remains affordable for its residents? 

Developing key, strategic priorities is paramount. DeSoto was never developed with a downtown corridor, so we have been working for the past few decades on a project entitled the Hampton Road Corridor. The purpose is to create a walkable, pedestrian friendly, downtown feel with retail and housing to generate density and need, as well as to create affordable housing opportunities. 

DeSoto is 85% built out already, so we are becoming incredibly intentional about what we can redevelop. We are looking at infill developments to create pockets of affordable housing throughout the city. Our consultants have been able to identify areas where we can strategically place housing and what those units and numbers need to look like in order to adequately meet needs. We have been intentionally working with various agencies to anticipate future growth and determine what we need to put into place now to support DeSoto’s continued growth.

How is DeSoto ensuring that infrastructure development keeps pace with population growth while maintaining high living standards?

Public safety, infrastructure and delivering quality city services will always be at the forefront of our goals. With the goal of redefining how we look at funding our capital improvement projects, we have been exploring new opportunities with federal funding and grants. 

The city partnered with our Congresswoman Jasmine Crocket to take part in the Hampton Road redevelopment. We have obtained over $1 million in funding for infrastructure along the Hampton Road corridor, in addition to other infrastructure projects for which we have partnered with the county. In the past few years, we have implemented impact fees which help pay for development.

What strategies has your administration implemented to fuel the city’s growing biomedical industry? 

DeSoto’s life sciences core is relatively new and will be embedded within one of our existing neighborhoods. Developing partnerships will be key to this growth. There have already been discussions about adding a hotel and event space, which will also benefit other facets of the community. Our economic development team has continued pursuing the right partners, building relationships and operating strategically to actualize goals. While biomedical is relatively new, we are looking forward to the future of this project.

Are there any regional projects or partnerships that you are particularly excited about?

DeSoto is part of the Best Southwest Partnership, and the core idea is that we are stronger together. The group is made of smaller suburban cities which come together to advocate for legislative priorities and projects in our region at large. Two years ago, we created a master plan that showed projective metrics like population growth and workforce development. It allows us to work together on our goals, like attracting new residents. On a broader level, we are excited about these continued partnerships, because they have allowed our voice to become amplified.

What key developments or initiatives are currently in progress to further bolster the business landscape as a whole in the city?

We want to attract businesses to DeSoto, and to do that we have to make it easier to do business here. The city has realized that regulations can be a challenge for business owners, and in response we are working proactively to streamline our processes.

The city is also focusing on businesses which improve the quality of life of our residents. We learned that many businesses which DeSoto wants are franchise-driven, so we’ve offered workshops, mixers and forums for interested individuals to obtain information and build relationships around becoming a franchisee for brands looking to expand in DeSoto. Attracting businesses means doing the hand-to-hand combat work to help connect the dots and make the process of doing business in DeSoto easier.

Could you discuss key initiatives in technology and innovation that are being employed to combat any challenges?

Staying in the same vein of making it easier to do business in DeSoto, the city is looking at implementing new software and technology to connect with business owners online. The way companies can do business and operate in DeSoto will be overhauled and will help create a one-stop shop. There is still a part of the community that wants to interact in person, but a large percentage of the community is mobile and on-the-go.

What is your outlook for DeSoto over the next few years, as well as your top priorities?  

Everything we do is a joint effort, and the team has been laying a firm foundation to set DeSoto apart. We are building a state-of-the-art aquatic center and intend to expand some of the competition pools to attract Olympic trials. One goal is to brand DeSoto as a unique city, and this is shown through our efforts in life sciences, arts and culture, the aquatic center, our all-abilities park and newly formed commission for people with disabilities. We try to look at what our community needs and then determine how we can create projects and energy that establish DeSoto as an exceptional place to live and do business.