Development Archives - Page 49 of 52

Q: Company seeks grant for 1 million-square-foot development in Oak Cliff

An Oak Cliff developer is seeking a $2 million grant from the city of Dallas to acquire land and build a residential/commercial development that would cover more than 1 million square feet of Oak Cliff. The story is on Roy Appleton's Oak Cliff blog . Check out the map. The area they want to redevelop is bounded by Interstate 35, Colorado, Twelfth and Tyler. That's a lot of homes.

Q: A 24-hour perspective on Downtown living

I don't know Tom Coughlin, but his DMN Viewpoints article about living in a closed Downtown hotel building the other day is worth a read on a couple of fronts. One, he talked about the vibrancy, or lack thereof, of Downtown life and seems to like it there. Two, he points out how our perspective can change with a little more actual (as opposed to virtual) knowledge, which is so prevalent these days. If you have five minutes, check it out today.

Q: Winnetka complex owners tripped up by city

Jim Schutze with the Dallas Observer offers an interesting tale of real estate development intrigue by detailing the case of Josh and Jenn Terry, a couple of neighbors who invested what they say is more than $200,000 rehabbing an apartment building on Winnetka — only to find out, after receiving numerous written city approvals — that what they're doing violates city code. Naturally, they were upset, and it makes an interesting story about the power of city bureaucrats, even when they readily admit they're wrong.

Q: In-N-Out locked in at Caruth Haven-Central Expressway

They kind of buried the lead in the story, if you ask me, but the Dallas Business Journal is off-handedly reporting that a Dallas-based real estate company has signed a deal leasing the former Steak-N-Shake restaurant at Caruth Haven and Central Expressway to In-N-Out Burger. We've been reporting on this for awhile , and at one point it looked as if Garland or Fort Worth would get the first of what is expected to be 10-15 In-N-Outs in the area. But the DBJ quotes Bill Hanks of Rosebriar Properties as saying the Central Expressway spot will be the hamburger chain's inaugural restaurant in Dallas. No word on the opening date, though.

Q: More on the future Sylvan | Thirty grocery store

As Rachel Stone mentioned in her Oak Cliff round-up last week, a grocery store has signed a letter of intent with Sylvan | Thirty , the development at Sylvan and Fort Worth Avenue. The project's developer, Brent Jackson, says that of the grocers that expressed interest in the project, he was looking for "grocers that can really cater to all walks of life and to a more diverse consumer base ... Oak Cliff and West Dallas are very diverse areas, and as a project we embrace that diversity. ... If you have a grocer that is narrowly focused in its consumer base, then they won’t succeed on our site, and quite frankly that market is fairly saturated over here." The grocer that has signed a letter of intent "fits the profile that I’ve just outlined," Jackson continues, "organic, mindful and interested in a diverse consumer base, and an extremely creative grocer." Creativity is a must; the Sylvan | Thirty site plan carves out only 8,000 square feet for the grocer — traditional grocery stores usually take up about 40,000 square feet — so no square pegs will fit in Sylvan | Thirty's round hole. Jackson isn't naming names, and will be mum on the specifics until the deal is done, which he hopes will be by the end of the year. "It’s not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination," he adds — but knowing that a letter of intent has been signed, let the speculation begin.

Q: Spikes 'N' Spokes on Saturday night

This event is bike-friendly in more ways than one — both bicycles and motorcycles are invited to this Saturday's Spikes 'N' Spokes event on the site of the SYLVAN | THIRTY project. "It’s our farewell to our terminally ill friend known as the Alamo Plaza Courts," says Brent Jackson, the project's developer. The event is a fundraiser for Guns and Hoses , a North Texas organization that supports the families of fallen police officers and fire fighters. RTB2 and STEW will play live music, and admission is free — enter through the old County Auto Service Center on Sylvan — but proceeds from beer and food sales will benefit Guns and Hoses, as will the $10 fee to enter the bike design contest. The contest winner will receive two tickets to Taste of the NFL .

Q: Peek inside the new Dallas Convention Center Hotel

The shell is still without exterior walls, but the Dallas Business Journal offers a tantalizing peek inside the convention center hotel in a story that talks about common areas, artwork and room design. (The URL link doesn't require a sign-in, from what I can tell.) Among the hotel highlights: • Map-like patterns of Dallas' road network are being woven into rugs • The hotel's main restaurant is "inspired" by the Dallas Farmers Market and includes reclaimed wood floors, communal tables and brick-interior walls • Dallas' skyline will be etched in a large mirror in a common area, allowing visitors to "see themselves" in the city • And quoting directly from the DBJ story: Omni (the hotel operator) "wants folks to know the larger-than-life people who built the city. So they're hanging supersized portraits of industry titans and city pioneers in common areas." The only individual cited was Mike Martinez, founder of the El Fenix restaurant chain; I wonder how political that process will become now that current and future politicos know that's the plan? The story also says that "each of the hotel's 1,001 guest rooms will have its own art collection of up to seven pieces, created by local artists and offered for sale." Honestly that sounds like a great idea, but is sure seems like an administrative headache for a hotel operator to manage what essentially will be 1,001 miniature art collections. Construction is expected to be completed by February 2012.

Q: Beyond cars: Dallas hits a tipping point?

That's the opinion of Monte Anderson of Options Real Estate , who is also the president of the North Texas Congress for New Urbanism . After attending the meeting reviewing plans for bike lanes on Bishop a couple of weeks ago, Anderson began feeling like the City of Dallas may have — finally — changed its attitude toward new urbanism. "For the first time ever — and I’ve been to a million road meetings — right out of the box it was a thoughtful design for the kids and the mom, for the runner and the biker, and for businesses because I think that’s good for business," Anderson says. "I realized they’re drawing the good stuff right up front; we’re not having to fight 'em after they draw the bad stuff. "We’ve been working on a number of people throughout Dallas to get them to think differently for a long time — smaller roads, more bike and pedestrian oriented," Anderson continues. "There are more people now in City Hall and on staff to say, "Let’s do better than what we’ve done in the past." That isn't the only praise I heard recently from Cliffites toward City Hall. Brent Jackson, the developer of Sylvan Thirty at Fort Worth Avenue and Sylvan, mentioned that "working with the city on 48 Nights was an A+." It could have been a complicated process drowned in red tape, but it wasn't, Jackson says. "I think the city is really starting to sense what they have over here, and what they have in general — an opportunity to tap into this entrepreneurial spirit."

Q: Retail occupancy: Have we hit bottom?

Retail occupancy in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has not started to improve, reports The Weitzman Group . The current occupancy rate is 86.2 percent, down from 86.4 percent at this time last year. The good news is that the study's authors think the market may have bottomed out after more than two years of declines.

Company seeks grant for 1 million-square-foot development in Oak Cliff

Trailers for sale or rent

A 24-hour perspective on Downtown living

Winnetka complex owners tripped up by city

In-N-Out locked in at Caruth Haven-Central Expressway

Convention Center hotel: Is it causing the tax increase?

More on the future Sylvan | Thirty grocery store

Spikes ‘N’ Spokes on Saturday night

Peek inside the new Dallas Convention Center Hotel

Beyond cars: Dallas hits a tipping point?

Retail occupancy: Have we hit bottom?

Back Story: The Origins of I-35