In an age where it seems few things can bridge deeply entrenched political divides, an $800 million project planned for the corner of Preston Road and Royal Lane may have done the trick for two neighborhood leaders.
Marsha Gordon and Diane Benjamin are longtime Preston Hollow residents who serve as precinct chairs for the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively. Gordon took over the role in 2017, while Benjamin has led her local party for over 15 years. The women also live on the same street and, until now, have never shared a yard sign despite both of their lawns expressing loud support for their chosen candidates.
“My husband has to fight his way to get to the front door with all the signage I have in support of the different political figures,” Benjamin says.
Gordon and Benjamin have finally found a cause to agree on. Both women have joined in the loud coalition opposing a rezoning request for Preston and Royal that would make way for the mixed-use tower development planned by developers Burk Interests and Greenway Investment Company. While the land currently allows only for building up to 54 feet, the development may see towers reaching up to 240 feet.
Neighbors have opposed the project’s height, arguing that the structure will shade nearby homes, infringe on the privacy of those homes, add congestion to the surrounding roadways and disrupt the character of the area by setting a precedent for skyscrapers. The site of the project was razed by the EF-3 tornado that swept through Preston Hollow in 2019 and has sat undeveloped since.
In August, the City Plan Commission voted to recommend approval for the project, despite a wave of public outcry. Benjamin, who ran for the Dallas City Council District 13 seat in 2025 and has spoken out about other high-density projects, such as the controversial Pepper Square development, says the opposition to the towers has offered neighbors a rare chance to overcome political differences.
“This should never be a partisan issue. It affects people who are hardworking and have earned the privilege of living in an area that we consider a beautiful neighborhood in a suburban area,” Benjamin says. “Whether they’re Democrats or Republicans, people who worked hard to live in (District 13) are now finding that their suburban lifestyle is being violated.”
For Gordon, a background in political organizing proved useful in rallying support for the Preserve Preston Hollow coalition. The group has gathered signatures for a petition opposing the project and has distributed the black and red “No Rezoning” signs that now line nearly every street in Preston Hollow.
Gordon says she was first recruited to the cause earlier this year and was happy to help gather signatures for the petition. According to Preserve Preston Hollow, more than 4,600 neighbors have signed the document.
“Because I don’t mind block walking and going to my neighbors’ doors, I agreed to take their petition and go and visit with neighbors. So that’s really when my involvement started,” Gordon says. “I know the Democrats that are in my neighborhood, but I went to every door.”
It was rare, she says, to meet a neighbor in favor of the project.
Still, some supporters made their way to City Hall during the August City Plan Commission hearing. Additionally, the developers have maintained that the project has been adjusted to meet community feedback. Jackson Walker, LLP attorney Suzan Kedron told the commission that the project’s largest tower has been lowered 85 feet to help assuage concerns. The building was also moved to the center of the site’s footprint to help minimize the effect of the height, Kedron added.
While the City Council was expected to vote on the project on Sept. 9, the hearing was delayed until Oct. 14. Benjamin and Gordon said they plan to continue in their outspoken advocacy against the development until then in hopes of convincing enough City Council members to deny the rezoning request.
But even if the opposition is unsuccessful, Gordon sees a silver lining for Preston Hollow.
“I hate that it takes a big issue like this, but I would hope that the positive that could come out of it is that (we can see that) all of us care about some things,” Gordon says. “We care about our quality of life. We care about our neighborhood. … Maybe this will open the door for a realization that we don’t have to be as divided politically, that it doesn’t have to be an us-and-them situation. We all can be us and be neighborly.”
Preston Hollow neighbors Marsha Gordon and Diane Benjamin are two of the residents behind a petition against the Preston Royal rezoning. Photo courtesy of the Preserve Preston Hollow coalition.
