10 things to watch in Dallas for 2010

Pegasus News
Shawn Williams of Dallas South News // January 4, 2010

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
Dallas Black Dance Theatre at Wyly Theatre
Continued Main Street resurgence
511 Akard
Victory Park
Empty Southern Dallas promises
Oak Cliff streetcars

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UNT Area plan approved by Dallas council

Dallas Morning News
Rudolph Bush // December 9, 2009

With little discussion, theDallas City Council has approved a development plan for a large swath of southern Dallas around the University of North Texas campus.

The plan is exciting to advocates of walkable and transit-oriented urban design.

It focuses on developing the area in human-scaled neighborhoods linked by rail and constructed with respect for the natural setting.

Mayor's 'coffee, deals and development'

Dallas Morning News
Sharon Grigsby // December 10, 2009

In case you missed this, check out Rudy Bush's report on the Dallas City Hall blog concerning the mayor's impressive outline for southern Dallas development, which he and others spoke about this morning.

Leppert's key points:

-- We all know there are challenges in southern Dallas, but what many people don't know are the many good things going on. We want to talk about that today.

-- Cited example of economic progress, including:

-- Tax base in southern Dallas has increased 75 percent, compared to citywide average of 50 percent.
-- A 586 percent increase in construction permits in southern Dallas since 2000.
-- Eleven TIF projects investing $135 million in southern Dallas.
-- Violent crime is down more than 20 percent; 80 new police officers in southern Dallas.
-- Code compliance complaints are down 20-30 percent.
-- DART to Pleasant Grove: "the largest investment in the nation in light rail."

-- Praised Methodist for investing $100 million in its facility, Allison at Baylor for partnering on diabetes with the city, Dallas Zoo for new management structure pointing it toward First Tier status, La Reunion tower expansion and improvements, etc.

-- Cited Allen's work on Dallas Logistical Hub.

-- UNT-Dallas, Paul Quinn - progress on both counts.

-- Pinnacle Park, Mountain Creek, Capella Park, renovation of Cliff Club at top of BofA, Lake June Plaza, El Rio Grande grocery, etc.

-- Seven million feet of new industrial space. "You'll see soon another big real estate development go public."

-- We're working on getting new, small banks to locate in southern Dallas; meanwhile Comerica and Wachovia have really stepped up....

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Southern Dallas ripe for private investors, mayor says

Dallas Morning News
Rudolph Bush // December 11, 2009

Southern Dallas is poised to grow, and the time has come for private investors to jump in, Mayor Tom Leppert told a crowd gathered at Gilley's on Thursday morning.

The tax base there has grown at a faster clip than the rest of the city, crime is down and public money is streaming in, he said.

"We all know there are challenges in the southern part of our city," he said. "But people understand this is the key to our success in this city, this region, this state," he said.

A who's who of southern Dallas showed up to hear Leppert, along with City Manager Mary Suhm, DART chief executive Gary Thomas, and University of North Texas vice chancellor John Ellis Price, among others.

They echoed a message of momentum for parts of the city that have stagnated so long that many Dallas residents have given up on seeing improvement.

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Why passing the UNT Dallas master plan this week is important

Dallas Morning News
December 4, 2009

On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council will consider the University of North Texas Dallas Area Plan, a 3,500-acre economic revitalization project for the city's southern portion. Passage is critical to supporting the nascent "town-gown" relationship developing between Dallas and its first public university.

The importance of this type of symbiotic relationship has been amply displayed in other urban centers around the country, such as Boston, Minneapolis, Denver and Seattle.

Universities are among these cities' largest employers, and they are long-term, place-bound investors in economic growth. When development around universities is planned appropriately, local economies benefit from steady streams of students and university workers who patronize area businesses. Universities also are typically partners in addressing problems such as crime and traffic.

If the UNT Dallas Area Plan is approved, these are the kind of benefits the city will experience. The plan calls for sustainable economic development around the campus. Mixed-use residential areas, retail zones and entertainment venues will infuse much-needed capital into the city. As the university grows, businesses around it will grow. This will produce tax revenue and, most importantly, long-term job growth.

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