Back to the Future

Whether I'm at the Legacies Dallas History Conference, listening to my family talk about "going downtown on the streetcar to shop" with the rest of Dallas, attending the community forum in Oak Cliff on the return of the streetcar, or reading Unfair Park, it seems like I'm constantly being bombarded with "Dallas used to be SO cool." As Robert Wilonsky points out, it would seem that many of our current aspirations are simply pages taken from the Dallas of the past: streetcars, downtown retail, bicycles and pedestrians on multi-modal streets.

It would appear that Jason Roberts & Co. are really just pining for a modern version of the Dallas of my grandparents. But, it would seem there are legitimate and tangible benefits to be drawn from the proposals supported by the likes of the DowntownDallas360 plan. Somewhere along the way, as Dallas and the rest of America became wrapped up in the American dream, we lost touch with our neighbors, choosing to drive everywhere and isolate ourselves from those in our midst, choosing what was perceived as comfort and convenience over all else. Old photographs of Dallas without freeways looks incredibly different, more like one large urban center rather than neighborhoods separated by highways.

Of course, since the post-war boom and urban sprawl began, the generations have finally come to realize the potential negative side-effects of so many cars and highways on our environment and our city centers. I believe we do have something to be learned from our predecessors, especially those members of the generation of my grandparents. Dallas WAS cool. Sitting in the Hall of State at Fair Park, built in the 1930s, listening to tales of city leaders and personalities who envisioned a Dallas full of possibilities and promise, its hard not to find admirable personalities and ideas worthy of imitation. As much as Dallas attempts to be a "city of the future," perhaps some of the answers to a prosperous future lie in our past.

There is some phenomenal architecture in Dallas - architecture that often tells a story. I would just remind you to be aware, and to stop and take it all in, especially in areas like downtown, Oak Cliff, and Deep Ellum. Why are the streets laid out like this? Why do those buildings hug the street corner? What does that old sign say? The city looks different when observed from street-level. Sometimes, its like taking a look into the past/future.

2011: Ready, Set, Build!

2011 may be shaping up to be a busy year in the Dallas real estate market, particularly in the area of in-town multi-family construction. As Dallas enters the year, multiple large apartment complexes begin construction, and others loom on the horizon.

The inner core neighborhoods continue to see on-going infill. Prescott Realty and SMU are shaping a new neighborhood along SMU Boulevard between Central Expressway and Greenville Ave. Prescott just broke ground on "The Boulevard," aptly named after Bishop Blvd. on the campus of SMU, a mixed-use development at the corner of SMU Blvd and Greenville Ave. The Boulevard builds on the success of The Shelby, another Prescott development on SMU, a fully leased apartment complex with retail on the first floor including a Twisted Root. In addition to the university's development of the strech in its long-term master plan, SMU Blvd is developing into a nice mix of residential, entertainment, and retail, all within a short walk of DART's Mockingbird Station.

As the university progresses in its long-term plan for SMU Blvd and as the George W. Bush Presidential Center and Library is completed, the activity in this neighborhood can only be expected to increase.

Meanwhile, Ross Avenue continues its slow crawl towards rebirth. At the corner of Ross and Hall, JLB Partners has broken ground on a mid-rise 4 story residential complex containing 372 units. JLB's new complex will expand the residential offerings already located in the Bryan Place neighborhood just east of downtown. This neighborhood continues to grow, although it lacks the variety in retail offerings and services which the residents of Uptown enjoy. Whether or not this most-recent addition to the neighborhood will contain retail is unknown. It seems logical that at least a small amount of retail space in this area would find success meeting the basic services needs of neighborhood residents.

Finally, JLB Partners has also purchased a tract of land in the West Village, at Blackburn and Central, between the Mondrian and Hwy 75, planning to build about 300 apartments, without retail. The popular West Village area of Uptown continues to see development finish out its vacant tracts. The Monterrey and Cityville at Katy Trail are the most recent additions, bringing additional residents and retail to the neighborhood. Recent work by the City and Cityplace TIF to finish out the street connections between Blackburn and Cityplace West Blvd. through the former Hank Haney Golf Center, is a good indication that these tracts (zoned high density residential mixed-use) will be developed in the near future. With its DART station and McKinney Ave. Streetcar connection, the West Village is well-connected and well-situated for Uptown residents who commute downtown.

Newly-released census data show continued population growth in Dallas. Additional residential developments of this sort, particularly apartments for lease, will surely find success as they meet the growing demand for in-town living options. As the economy recovers, these new projects are a positive sign of continued progress in the area of lending and construction. Here's to a prosperous new year in Dallas.