John Crawford
Yesterday, Downtown Dallas Inc. hosted its annual forum and luncheon, featuring Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. Mayor Rawlings gave a state of downtown address to a record-breaking crowd of more than 900 people. He offered a quick update on all things downtown and asked each attendee to invest in the city’s revitalization.
“Years ago we realized there was a tide moving out of downtown, and it was happening in other cities,” Rawlings said. “The tide is rolling back in guys—let‘s take advantage of it.”
Some of you heard my call to “invest yourself” back in January at our annual meeting. Some of you are already heeding our call to action. In fact, it’s a great day in downtown Dallas, cranes are flying high, new residents are moving in, occupancy is on the rise, and more landmark projects are taking shape, bringing more than a decade’s worth of vision to reality.
“Fortunately the Downtown Dallas 360 Plan was created with a purpose to create a 24/7 downtown,” Rawlings told the luncheon crowd. “I love the fact that it was strategic and that the City Council adopted the plan.”
Texas has become the “third coast,” and downtown Dallas has become the epicenter. We’ve moved from a one-dimensional commercial office center to a multidimensional, live, work and play urban environment. In the last 10 years, great change and progress has been made commercially, culturally, recreationally and residentially.
Now 125,000 people strong, downtown has the largest work force in North Texas. It’s growing and continues to be an important part of our future. One such company investing itself downtown is Neiman Marcus. It has been a downtown anchor for 105 years! Together we recently made a video, challenging the downtown business community to get off the sidelines, get in the game, and enjoy all downtown has to offer. I encourage you to share it with your friends, employees, and associates. And why not put the video on your website to highlight the changing face of downtown?
By investing yourself, all of us will ensure tomorrow’s future success and have a lot of fun along the way. Downtown has more than 250 bars and restaurants, we host more than 300 events a year to provide something for everyone. Culturally, the world is turning to Dallas.
“We have one the largest continuous arts districts in the world, and people and businesses from around the globe are looking at us,” boasted Rawlings.
We are preserving downtown’s rich history while we embrace the future. We recently partnered with Preservation Dallas, as it unveiled five signs around downtown’s Main Street Garden that highlight the architecturally significant historical buildings surrounding the park. The signs were dedicated in memory of Gail Thoma Patterson, past president of Preservation Dallas and historic preservation leader, and are the first in a planned series of signs in downtown Dallas.
Speaking of parks, downtown recently celebrated the opening of Belo Garden. It has already proven to be an oasis in downtown for employees, residents, and visitors. It’s the second park completed as part the downtown parks master plan. Main Street Garden was our first urban green space; later this year, Klyde Warren Park will make its debut, providing yet another urban park, downtown.
“I love it when I hear that that there isn’t enough equipment at the park” Rawlings said at the luncheon. “It means that kids are standing in line to play at Downtown’s Main Street Garden.”
So here’s the question: Have you been investing yourself in downtown? Whether by relocating your company’s headquarters, by choosing to make downtown your home, keeping your money in Dallas, by holding your company meeting or event downtown, or simply bringing the family to one of our stellar new parks.
As Mayor Rawlings said, “Downtown is the face of our city. It’s the core of our region. Now is the time to invest yourself.”
As goes downtown, so goes Dallas! The best is yet to come!
John F. Crawford is president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc. Contact him at crawford@downtowndallas.org.
3 comments
A few things I observed: One, how on earth does the Mayor praise Craig Hall alongside Lucy Billingsley when Hall has openly said he doesn’t believe in downtown, holds the city hostage for more money, and doesn’t even work down here, all while Spire was left out completely despite being one of (if not the) longest tenured landlord in downtown?
Two, how do you argue that a cow-caused traffic jam is holding our city back (I did chuckle), then propose a $1.8 BILLION tollroad that would be out of service whenever it rains? Throw in that he spent a lot time praising parks and multi-modal transportation but then advocates wasting that much money to cut Downtown off from one of the best resources for both, the Trinity River Corridor, and it really makes no sense. Trying to please all, I suppose, but it came off like a jumbled at crowd-pleasing. He referred to his “wobbling” by saying he isn’t, but clearly he’s in over his head and he’s realizing his rationale makes no sense. Even the Observer reporter yesterday was left confused by what Rawling was trying to say, to which Mayor Mike answered “its about tone.” Huh? There is still time to right the ship, and Mayor Rawlings is clearly an intelligent guy that means well so here is hoping he listens to some differing opinions than whoever has had his ear.
Three, how do you argue South Dallas will grow when Downtown Dallas grows, and then roughly allude to how a tollroad to NW Dallas will do that? He said he looked at the “numbers” but no publicly released number has come close to justifying that tollroad. Heck, if you want to grow South Dallas, spend that $1.8 on infrastructure in South Dallas (schools included). THAT, sir, might work. Not that I advocate that as the best way, but it is obviously better than the proposed tollroad.
Downtown is coming back as a 24/7 destination, but it’s happening due to a few, well targeted victories including the parks Downtown, the TIF funds for residential conversion of old office buildings, and private investors (The Hamiltons are the first that come to mind, but there are certainly others).
I wouldn’t call Main Street Garden “green” – the trees are far too small and sparse. The exterior product used on the construction there is all peeling off and looks shabby. It’s not that old, but obviously unable to take the scorching temperatures generated by all the concrete surrounding it. Hoping it’s still under warrantee, just saying.
We stopped by one Friday night to check it out and there were many people hanging out and drinking beer with their dogs and bicycles. Since the LilyPad had already sold out of their two mini-kegs most people brought their own beer. The three police at the park kept it homeless-free, but at the cost of three officers that could be doing something other than patrolling one square city block. MADD was having an event the next day and had already set up their event – I’m hoping they helped reimburse for the patrols protecting their stuff all night.
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