Dallas

[Plutonic Panda]

A cool article about Fort Worth

Why developers are investing in Fort Worth?s skyline - Dallas Business Journal

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Somewhat old piece about the Orange Line DFW Airport expansion

DART will launch service to D/FW Airport 4 months early on Aug. 18 - Dallas Business Journal

[Plutonic Panda]

New Dallas Cowboys HQ proposal for Frisco

Construction is not far away on the first part of the multiuse event center and Dallas Cowboys headquarters.

Frisco City Council members at a special meeting on May 6 heard an update on the project and saw an updated site plan and rendering of the publicly-funded areas.

The first part of the site plan, which includes the multiuse event facility, two practice fields, the Dallas Cowboys headquarters and some retail space, is expected to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission for approval on May 27.

That section of the project, in the northwest quadrant of the development at Warren Parkway and Dallas Parkway, is still on schedule to be open by late 2016, according to Assistant City Manager Ron Patterson.

If the commission approves it, Patterson said construction on the property will be able to start. Construction of the piers for the multiuse event center could begin in August, he said.
The indoor multiuse events center will be set 18 feet into the ground in order to reduce the profile of the building and will be a split-bowl style, meaning part of the seating will be below the ground—similar to Toyota stadium—and the other section will rise above. In all, it will be about three and a half stories tall, Patterson said.



- Site plan for event center and Dallas Cowboys headquarters to go before Planning & Zoning Commission - Community Impact Newspaper

[Plutonic Panda]

Cool Redevelopment of Frisco's Silos

The historic grain silos at John Elliott Drive and Main Street could see new life again as dining and entertainment spaces.

Frisco City Council members at a May 6 meeting approved moving forward with a lease process of the property to a developer who has interest in turning the top of the white silos into a roof-top restaurant/lounge and the metal silos into a multi-purpose facility for hosting weddings, reunions, parties and other similar events.

“The council has talked a lot over the past couple of years about bringing unique and destination dining and venues to Frisco,” Councilman Will Sowell said. “I think this really sets a very high bar—no pun intended—of what we would want to do moving forward. It’s well done.”

The restaurant and venues are not yet a done deal, however. The lease partner, MDS Capital LLC, will be responsible for funding engineering studies to determine the safety and instructional integrity of the silos as well as their feasibility for the intended use.

City staff members said in late 2013 that while the white silos are thought to be structurally sound, the metal silos may not be.

If MDS Capital determines the silos are suitable, the rental agreement will be put in place. Detailed plans of the architectural and structural work to the silos will go before the City Council for approval before construction begins.

MDS Capital has taken on other similar projects in Plano, and city staff and council members said the businesses are nice and “flourishing” and that MDS Capital respected the “vintage feel” of the locations.

The initial lease period is for 20 years with an option to extend it for another 10 years. The annual base rent for the first five years is $56,400. That rate would continue to rise until years 16–20 at $65,292 in annual base rate.

The land has been home to grain silos since the 1900s, although the current silos are thought to have been constructed in the 1940s or 1950s by Continental Grain.



- Frisco's historic silos could be transformed to dining, entertainment spaces - Community Impact Newspaper

[Plutonic Panda]

Plano facing buildout as undeveloped land dwindles | Dallas Morning News

[Plutonic Panda]

Cool new mixed use development in Richardson

University of Texas at Dallas’ Comet Town

University of Texas at Dallas’ Comet Town will become visible soon.

The Richardson City Council on Monday unanimously approved a request to rezone 13.3 acres next to the university from technical office to a planned development.

Northside at UTD, also referred to as Comet Town, will be a mixed-use neighborhood featuring apartments, townhomes, shops and restaurants.

The concept plan for the project reviewed on Monday shows 284 apartment units, 16 town homes and 26,780 square feet of retail space. A pedestrian mall will connect the neighborhood to the future DART Cotton Belt Station. More phases are planned for the project.

The property is on the north side of Synergy Park Boulevard, between Rutford Avenue and Floyd Road. Calvin Jamison, the university’s vice president of administration, said the school owns the land and will lease it to Wynne Jackson and Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions to develop and operate.

Comet Town housing will be open to the public but mostly serve faculty and graduate students, Jamison said. Rental rates are expected to start at about $1,600 for a 1,000-square-foot apartment.

University officials expect campus housing to be completely full by fall 2014, and there are no plans to expand dorms.

“We have experienced tremendous growth in a short period of time,” Jamison said.

Enrollment is projected to grow to 27,000 students by 2018.

- Richardson council approves zoning for UT Dallas mixed-use neighborhood | Dallas Morning News

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Here is a site plan:


Here is the presentation: http://cor.net/modules/showdocument....cumentid=10065

**BTW, this is something that would be awesome to see in Norman!**

[Plutonic Panda]

Historic Oak Cliff Dairy Farm owner eying possible mixed use development

Dallas-based Cienda Partners calls itself a property investment company.

But for the last decade or so, the private firm has been something of a real estate rainmaker.

Cienda has bought up Dallas properties in strategic locations that are now being developed into high-profile projects.

No doubt that’s what will happen with its latest purchase – a 16-acre property at the doorstep of North Oak Cliff.

It’s the Oak Farms Dairy, an almost 80-year-old milk processing plant that is at the foot of the two bridges crossing to downtown.

Cienda bought the dairy from Southern Foods Group, who will continue to use the dairy for another year.

During that time, Cienda will spend time planning the property for redevelopment, said partner Philip Wise.

“We started looking at this site several years ago and always thought it was the best one around,” Wise said.

The property is zoned to allow high-rise construction and could accommodate up to 1,000 apartments and 600,000 square feet of commercial space.

Cienda has hired architects Good Fulton & Farrell to work on planning for the property, which is adjacent to Oak Cliff’s Gateway Park and on the new streetcar line connecting to downtown

Here is a cool picture provided if you are unfamiliar with the plant



- http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/20...elopment.html/

Here is the architects website: http://www.gff.com

They really have done some cool stuff including the new Perot Museum.

[Plutonic Panda]

New 23 story residential building in Uptown Dallas.

Developer StreetLights Residential has disclosed some details of its new Uptown Dallas apartment tower.

The 23-story Uptown Plaza building is planned for a vacant lot across the street from Hotel Zaza at Maple and Thomas avenues. The vacant tract for the building is behind the Uptown Plaza shopping center.

StreetLights plans to build 212 units in the tower with the first units available in 2016, according to the company’s website.

Units in the traditional-style building will range in size from range in size from 737 to 2,238 square feet.

- Sneak peek at new Uptown apartment tower that will start soon | Dallas Morning News

another older link: Plans provide details for new Uptown Dallas apartment tower | Dallas Morning News

These are the same people who are nearly finished building this mid-rise


http://www.streetlightsres.com/the-taylor.html

A nice little piece about it
Construction starts on 17-story apartment building in Dallas? Uptown area | Dallas Morning News

Also, here is their main website: http://www.streetlightsres.com

Here is another cool project by them in the Uptown area of it they're building which includes the Akard Place

Developers who own a key property in Dallas’ Uptown district plan to build a high-rise office and residential project.

RED Development of Phoenix has teamed up with Dallas’ StreetLights Residential to build the $200 million Akard Place mixed-use project at Field Street and Cedar Springs Road.

The 16-story office tower and 20-story residential building will occupy all of the vacant block, which is just north of Woodall Rodgers Freeway and the Perot Museum. It’s one of the last large building sites in the neighborhood.

Groundfloor retail and a large public plaza will connect the two buildings.

“There is a great demand now for restaurants and retail in Uptown,” RED Development managing partner Mike Ebert said. “There is big demand for offices.

“We think the timing for this project is outstanding.”

RED has been working on the Akard Place development for several years. In 2012 it bought the land from the Dallas Police & Fire Pension System. Ebert said the Dallas pension fund is a partner in his firm’s holding company.

RED hired Seattle-based Graphite Design Group as architect of Akard Place. And landscape architect OJB – which designed downtown Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park – is also working on the project.

Commercial real estate firm CBRE Group has been hired to market the office building to business tenants.

StreetLights Residential – which just built the Taylor apartment tower in Uptown – was selected as the apartment developer.

“We wanted a strong local partner on the residential,” Ebert said.

StreetLights CEO Doug Chesnut said he’s been interested in RED’s development site for a long time.

“The property is right in the middle of everything,” Chesnut said.

He said plans call for about 300 apartments in the residential tower, which will be at the northeast end of the property.



- read more here: http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/20...t-towers.html/

[Plutonic Panda]

The Canals at Grand Park in Frisco - A huge $500 million project in Frisco

Developers in Frisco have begun construction of an urban-style mixed-use village that will have almost 2,000 homes.

The $500 million Canals at Grand Park development on Legacy Drive will have a variety of apartments, houses, townhomes and senior townhouses built around landscaped parks and waterways.

Dallas-based Charter Holdings and Arcadia Realty Corp. are the developers of the land, which is west of Dallas North Tollway and near Frisco’s Main Street.

Work has begun on the 152-acre project at Legacy and Cotton Gin Road. The first homes should be ready next year.

First phases of the apartments, single-family homes and senior living homes are starting construction at the same time.

“We wanted this community to be developed with new urbanism, so it doesn’t look like a traditional suburban subdivision,” said Charter Holdings CEO Ray Washburne said Monday. “Since it is all coming up at once, it will be incredible.”

The first phase will include 365 apartments by builder StreetLights Residential. The developer is doing a combination of flats and townhouse-style rental units.

Almost 1,100 apartments are ultimately planned in what will be StreetLights’ first suburban Dallas project. The company has apartments in Uptown and downtown Dallas.

“Our whole project will be in three phases,” said StreetLights CEO Doug Chesnut. “We will have the first phase finished late next year.

“The units in the buildings will have walk-up front doors and front porches,” he said. “This is an old way of thinking that we forgot.”

The single-family home neighborhoods will also be built with houses that front on tree-lined streets and face the almost dozen small parks and greenspaces.




- read more here: $500 million urban village in Frisco will offer variety of housing | Dallas Morning News

[Plutonic Panda]

Ok, I'm exhausted for now.

But you know, just same old boring, cookie cutter Dallas with it's huge highways preventing any real quality development and no interest in mass transit. Yeap, those highway are sure hampering development down there.

[warreng88]

Has anyone else noticed the increase in advertising of Dallas in OKC over the last year or so? There is a billboard coming off I-44 WB onto May and I know I have seen multiple others around. Also, I have seen a few commercials from time to time on the TV. I am curious if Dallas is losing tourism from Oklahoma, in general, due to OKC and Tulsa getting better options. My wife and I used to go to Dallas once a month or so, just day trips mostly and now we go maybe twice a year at the most because OKC's options are increasing. Thoughts?

[warreng88]

Ok, I'm exhausted for now.

But you know, just same old boring, cookie cutter Dallas with it's huge highways preventing any real quality development and no interest in mass transit. Yeap, those highway are sure hampering development down there.

To be fair, the population of the DFW area is almost twice the entire population of Oklahoma in an area almost half the size of the OKC metro. It has to go somewhere...

[adaniel]

Has anyone else noticed the increase in advertising of Dallas in OKC over the last year or so? There is a billboard coming off I-44 WB onto May and I know I have seen multiple others around. Also, I have seen a few commercials from time to time on the TV. I am curious if Dallas is losing tourism from Oklahoma, in general, due to OKC and Tulsa getting better options. My wife and I used to go to Dallas once a month or so, just day trips mostly and now we go maybe twice a year at the most because OKC's options are increasing. Thoughts?

Wouldn't shock me. Probably a combination of more options in OKC+online shopping

Cousin who lives down here and works for management for one of the bigger malls in the area (Stonebriar if you know where that is) says purchases from OK customers have been trending downward for some time and hasn't recovered like most of the economy, although he pinned it on higher gas prices and a sales tax holiday in OK. Stonebriar is the furthest north "super regional" mall so at one point it recieved a lot of customers from southern OK and OKC to a lesser extent. My sister is also an IKEA fanatic and she has noticed far fewer OK tags in the parking lot.

As far as more billboards, I noticed that too before I moved but the Dallas CVB has become more aggresive in general with their "BIG" campaign. Supposedly there are quite a few billboards in Austin and Houston as well.

[warreng88]

Wouldn't shock me. Probably a combination of more options in OKC+online shopping

Cousin who lives down here and works for management for one of the bigger malls in the area (Stonebriar if you know where that is) says purchases from OK customers have been trending downward for some time and hasn't recovered like most of the economy, although he pinned it on higher gas prices and a sales tax holiday in OK. Stonebriar is the furthest north "super regional" mall so at one point it recieved a lot of customers from southern OK and OKC to a lesser extent. My sister is also an IKEA fanatic and she has noticed far fewer OK tags in the parking lot.

As far as more billboards, I noticed that too before I moved but the Dallas CVB has become more aggresive in general with their "BIG" campaign. Supposedly there are quite a few billboards in Austin and Houston as well.

I think the addition of the outlet mall in OKC helps greatly because ours is so much better than the one in Allen and the one in Denton I wouldn't really even call it an outlet mall any more. The layout might be the worst I have ever seen.

I know Northpark has great options but is a just a big, ugly square and I think it only really has those options because of it being in Dallas. I do like Ikea and if OKC could get a Kate Spade, Container Store, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware and IKEA, I might never have to go to Dallas again except for traveling...

[Urbanized]

Yeah, I have definitely noticed the ads. I think it is a great sign for OKC. As mentioned, probably a combination of factors, but obviously OKC presents many more options for locals these days, which makes Dallas not quite as overwhelmingly attractive for leisure/shopping by comparison. The comment about increased gas prices is a typical Dallas/TX response. They would prefer to believe we can't afford to go there rather than are simply choosing not to in favor of OKC options.

[Plutonic Panda]

To be fair, the population of the DFW area is almost twice the entire population of Oklahoma in an area almost half the size of the OKC metro. It has to go somewhere...

I'm not sure whether you're agreeing with me or not, but my point was some posters on here were saying that Dallas only cares about cares and not mass transit and that isn't the case.

[warreng88]

I'm not sure whether you're agreeing with me or not, but my point was some posters on here were saying that Dallas only cares about cares and not mass transit and that isn't the case.

It's not that I am not agreeing with you, I am just saying there are a lot more people in Dallas versus OKC so there are going to be a lot more cars and need for mass transit but I think the cars are going to be used more in that area than DART. Do we have any idea what the ridership for DART has been in the past five years as Dallas has grown?

[adaniel]

I think the addition of the outlet mall in OKC helps greatly because ours is so much better than the one in Allen and the one in Denton I wouldn't really even call it an outlet mall any more. The layout might be the worst I have ever seen.

I know Northpark has great options but is a just a big, ugly square and I think it only really has those options because of it being in Dallas. I do like Ikea and if OKC could get a Kate Spade, Container Store, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware and IKEA, I might never have to go to Dallas again except for traveling...

I must admit, that outlet mall in Allen is pretty dreadful, even though they have some decent stores. NorthPark's design is very "love it or leave it"; it's nice if you like mid century, 60's "Mad Men" type style. They are definitely cornering the market down here for upscale stores, largely at the Galleria's expense. I had friends come down from OKC for the Byron Nelson, and they were begging me to take them to the Galleria since I live fairly close. They were quite disappointed in the mall and store selections.

Yeah, I have definitely noticed the ads. I think it is a great sign for OKC. As mentioned, probably a combination of factors, but obviously OKC presents many more options for locals these days, which makes Dallas not quite as overwhelmingly attractive for leisure/shopping by comparison. The comment about increased gas prices is a typical Dallas/TX response. They would prefer to believe we can't afford to go there rather than are simply choosing not to in favor of OKC options.

Haha! This wouldn't surprise me. I've heard some pretty silly stuff about "yankees from north of the Red River."

I should point out that I have met quite a few people in DFW that have done weekend trips to OKC and all have said very nice things. Heck, I feel like it's pretty much a rite of passage for kids in Collin County to go to Beavers Bend. As an aside I wish OK and OKC would do a bit more advertising down here. Arkie is shameless in the way it blankets the airwaves, we can do a little more LOL.

[Plutonic Panda]

It's not that I am not agreeing with you, I am just saying there are a lot more people in Dallas versus OKC so there are going to be a lot more cars and need for mass transit but I think the cars are going to be used more in that area than DART. Do we have any idea what the ridership for DART has been in the past five years as Dallas has grown?

I believe I saw an article about Dart ridership. I can find one though. Are you asking about the ridership specifically relating to the growth or just ridership in general?

[warreng88]

I believe I saw an article about Dart ridership. I can find one though. Are you asking about the ridership specifically relating to the growth or just ridership in general?

Both. I would think that as Dallas was growing, ridership would increase but with Dallas spending billions on highway reconfiguration, rebuilding, widening, etc, it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't go up percentage wise as much as the population did. I am also curious how many people road the DART being that it is the closest city to us with a fully-functional mass transit system.

[Plutonic Panda]

I had friends come down from OKC for the Byron Nelson, and they were begging me to take them to the Galleria since I live fairly close. They were quite disappointed in the mall and store selections.

That's a first. I think the Galleria is great. Gucci and Louis Vuitton to name two upscale stores. The layout is great and every parking spot is structured. Every person I've ever known that has been there loves it. Northpark is a nice mall, but there is nothing really spectacular about it except some really high-end tenants. The mall is nice and luxurious in a few ways, but again, I think the Galleria is more impressive.

[warreng88]

As an aside I wish OK and OKC would do a bit more advertising down here. Arkie is shameless in the way it blankets the airwaves, we can do a little more LOL.

I don't know what you are seeing but our casinos do plenty of advertising down there...

[Plutonic Panda]

Both. I would think that as Dallas was growing, ridership would increase but with Dallas spending billions on highway reconfiguration, rebuilding, widening, etc, it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't go up percentage wise as much as the population did. I am also curious how many people road the DART being that it is the closest city to us with a fully-functional mass transit system.

I'll try and find some studies done.

[Plutonic Panda]

I meant to post this before hand, but it already happened. Non-stop air service to Shanghai and Hong Kong kicked off and they held this event.



Some more info about this: dfwairport.com - Celebrate Hong Kong and Shanghai at DFW International Airport!

https://www.facebook.com/DFWAirport/...636864/?type=1

[adaniel]

I don't know what you are seeing but our casinos do plenty of advertising down there...

Truth