Mark Henderson talks about driving change through community development » Dallas Innovates

Highland Hills Drive, part of South Oak Cliff, has nearly five acres of untouched land. Thanks to the efforts of developer Mark Henderson, that terrain is about to transform.

“3.76 acres are buildable,” says Henderson, founder of Exodus Development Group (EDG). The company plans to build 18 duplexes, totaling 36 units, on undeveloped land.

Initially, EDG planned to sell half of the units at market price (something the community had expressed interest in) and make the other half available for rental. Assessing current market conditions, EDG is exploring the best mechanisms to bring these units to market, such as rental, lease or sale, he said.

Willingness to make a difference

Henderson's project is more than just a home. This includes a deep-rooted commitment to the community. This is a core value demonstrated through our strategic partnership with Community Developer Roundtable/Innovan Neighborhoods, a collection of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting sustainable community development.

Henderson's South Oak Cliff development embraces the concept of a community with a pet-friendly environment and dedicated parking for residents. For recreation, residents have access to nearby College Park as well as the soccer fields adjacent to the complex (currently managed by the City of Dallas but unused).

Judge Charles R. Rhodes Park is also being built a few miles away, across the street from the Highland Hills Library. The park site is 40 acres of vacant land that is being converted into green space by the Trust for Public Land and the City of Dallas for the estimated 4,000 residents of Highland Hills and Oak Cliff, developers note.

“There's a huge opportunity in south Dallas.”

“There's a huge opportunity south of Dallas,” Hend said.Elson said. “He also owns an apartment complex on 7th Avenue from Bishop Arts, which is almost complete.”

He discussed two of EDG's south Dallas projects during a bus tour with Community Developer Roundtable/Innovan Neighborhoods in early June.

Henderson's multifamily project at Bishop Arts has six units, two of which are two-bedroom/one-bathroom units. One is a one bedroom/one bathroom unit. His remaining three are studios.

Henderson gutted the structure, updated the electrical equipment, repaired the foundation, and added new siding and windows. The project builds on the developer's successful track record of updating more than 20 of his residential units to date in Dallas and Atlanta.

Paving the way to economic empowerment for people

Mark Henderson's passion for fair housing stems from his personal journey and understanding of the transformative power of homeownership. TDevelopers learned early on that homeownership can be a step on the path to economic empowerment.

The developer grew up here at a time when East Austin was considered a low-income area. There were few resources or opportunities for advancement, he says. He remembers that at age 17 he enlisted in the Navy and was in boot camp.When he returned to his hometown, he says his hometown was a very different East Austin.It's built.

That experience stayed with Henderson through college, where he studied marketing and began laying the foundation for pursuing a career in real estate development. He also met his wife during his student years, and a few years after his graduation, the two purchased several triplexes in Atlanta's College Park area for renovation. With a bachelor's degree and some experience under his belt, he realized that a legal education was logical. Next step; Texas A&M Law School brought him back to the Lone Star State.

“I focused on real estate, so I took classes in construction law, land use, environmental law, water law, oil and gas rights, and more.”

Meeting Maggie Parker in the Inovan District

mark henderson

After law school, Henderson worked for the federal government as a space and leasing representative for the 2020 Census and as a multifamily real estate specialist in HUD's Office of Asset Management and Portfolio Oversight.

But ties to the Dallas area grew stronger.

“In Austin, the only way to take advantage of growth was to sell the homes that families had lived in for generations. You can only do that once,” Henderson said.

He and his wife sold real estate in Georgia and began investing here, getting to know local real estate professionals. That's how he first heard the name Maggie Parker.

maggie parker

With experience as a developer, lender, and investor, Parker founded Innovan Neighborhoods in 2019 to match opportunities with capital and expertise. Just last year, she created her Community Developers Roundtable (CDR) as part of her Innovan program. The company named Mr. Henderson to its first team of 15 developers in November.

Action-oriented groups want to address gaps in the community development ecosystem with long-term, developer-driven structures.

Mr. Henderson welcomed the opportunity to join a group of community-minded developers. In addition, the Roundtable will provide $1 million in dedicated pre-development funding, staff capacity allowances, technical assistance, professional coaching, and financial resources for project feasibility studies.

Henderson, who believes in growth for all, says that means creating resources to help people start their own businesses, support themselves and their families, and learn the importance of planning and saving. say.

“It starts with having a safe place to lie down at night and a home you're proud to live in,” Henderson said.