Another reason why the City Design Studio is the coolest

A few of us over here at DDI were treated to a little hint of the following project in a meeting with Brent Brown, David Whitley and the Dallas City Design Studio team earlier this week.  Now it’s official…all you City Hall Plaza haters, rejoice!

In a flash-mob-Oak-Cliff-Better-Blocks- William-Whyte-style initiative called “Living Plaza”, City Hall Plaza will be transformed with a temporary installation on April 27.  We’re all invited to take part from 11:30am – 2:00pm.  To all of you who are screaming for more streetlife, activated spaces and vibrancy Downtown, this is OUR chance to prove the urbanity of Dallas.  Surprises in store, I can assure you…

More info:  http://betterblock.org/2011/04/15/living-plaza-project-april-27th-at-dallas-city-hall-plaza/

~Kourtny

For Those of Us Who Still Play with Legos

Yes, we’re about to promote that you head north – briefly! – this weekend…

Today “Local Landmarks in Legos” opens at Northpark – a collection of downtown’s most recognizable landmarks reconstructed, yes, with those little tiny blocks of imagination.  Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for kids, with proceeds benefiting East Dallas Community Schools.  The exhibit runs through August 1.  Check it out on level two between Neimans and Nordstrom.

 

                   

~Kourtny

Parking And Retail To Be Specifically Addressed In New Studies

On April 14, Dallas City Council approved a reallocation of funds to implement two critical studies for Downtown, one to focus on parking, the other to further retail development in the Main Street District.

Both projects will be managed by Downtown Dallas, Inc., in partnership with the City, and will be conducted in concert with the Downtown Dallas 360 (www.downtowndallas360.com )planning effort.

Elements to be addressed in the parking realm include a supply and demand analysis (both for commercial office and public transient parking); valet parking in key entertainment and visitor zones; signage and wayfinding; resident-serving needs; and innovative technologies such as smart phone usage and real-time availability information.  The effort will commence in May, to be complete in line with Downtown Dallas 360 later this fall.

The Main Street Retail Activation Strategy, co-funded by Downtown Dallas, Inc., will build upon past efforts that have created a target tenant mix and incentive programs to entice a mix of luxury, service and entertainment uses to locate in Downtown’s core.  The strategy will put forth guidelines and programs related to urban design including lighting, sidewalk enhancements, street furniture and environmental graphics.  It will also analyze highest-and-best-use locations for sidewalk cafes, street vending and public art.   The stakeholder input process began in February, with the goal of completion early this summer.  Look for emerging strategies to be posted on Downtown Dallas Inc.’s blog later next month.

Downtown Park Fountain Hours

Back when the park was being finished out, our top priority as a supporting organization for Main Street Garden and Pegasus Plaza was to make sure we could get the fountains running a much as we could. Last November it was approved that we would be the management organization for these parks, along with the City of Dallas Park and Rec Department. So first on agenda (now that we have our funds in order!) the fountains!

We’re looking at changing the water fountain running time to those suggested below.

Main Street Garden: 1-10p on Saturdays and 5-10p Sunday through Fridays. Pegasus Plaza 5-10p daily

Please note, right now, they only run from 11a-1p because it is all the city’s budget allows.  We will eventually try to get them running even longer the more money we can raise for the park, but with Downtown Dallas Inc and the City of Dallas’ budgets combined, this is looking like the best we can do as far as length of time.  Let us know your thoughts!

-Kristy

Main Street Garden News

Downtown Dallas, Inc.  is hiring two part-time people for its Clean Team to be dedicated to Main Street Garden.  One of their primary duties will be to clean up dog waste which is  a real problem when some of our friends and neighbors don’t pick up after their dogs.

They also will try to keep the park litter free.

The new people should be on board in the next 30 days.  One person will be on duty at Main Street Garden from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Any other suggestions on educating people to pick up after their dogs (that don’t involve deadly weapons) will be welcomed.

~Jim

2010 Priorities

Every year we come up with our annual Program of Work, a set of goals and benchmarks to determine our success.  We break it down into our priorities and then ongoing tasks.  The difference is our priorities are items that are unique to that specific year, like 2009 we had the opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center and Main Street Garden, so those two huge projects determined about 3-4 months of our workload.  The ongoing tasks are just that, things that we do day in and out of any given year that will never change, picking up litter, promoting downtown, etc.

Below is a link to our 2010 Priorities.  Let us know your thoughts!

2010 Downtown Dallas Inc Priorities

-Kristy

2010 Downtown Events

As I promised oh 2 weeks ago, below are the scheduled events for 2010.  Our #1 priority for this year is to program the heck out of Main Street Garden, budget and sponsorships permitting, of course.

Please note these are only the ones DOWNTOWNDALLAS is producing.  Let us know your thoughts and suggestions on other events!

Membership/Business to Business (roughly some form of B2B a month)

• Annual Meeting – March
• CEO Breakfast – April
• Town Hall – May (free event open to the public discussing a hot topic in a more casual setting)
• Membership Forum 2Q – June
• Town Hall – July/August
• Membership Event/Forum – September
• CEO Breakfast – October

Community

• Progressive Type Event – February
• Main Street Garden Recreational weekends – May and June
• Main Street GardenSports leagues – May and June   
• Main Street Garden Concert in the Park – May
• Celebrate Downtown/Home Tour – June
• Progressive Type Event – June
• Downtown Photography Exhibition featuring local Downtown photographers – July
• Progressive Type Event – August
• Animation Festival at Main Street Garden – August OR September
• Taste of the Fair – September
• Main Street Garden Recreational weekends – September
• Progressive Type Event – September OR October
• Main Street Garden Sports leagues – September and October  
• Main Street Garden Movies – October
• City Lights – November
• Community Projects (3) – TBD

-Kristy

Who Wants Dinner At Screen Door?

ME! but alas, I must share.  So there’s a catch to getting this alleged dinner… you must participate in a Downtown Christmas Tree Scavenger Hunt!  The person to turn in the most pictures of Downtown holiday trees (with their location listed) by Monday morning at 9am, will win a $150 gift certificate to Screen Door!  Please note trees can be indoor or outdoor.

Tip: please remember Downtown is NOT just the Central Business District, venture out to Deep Ellum, the Cedars, Victory Park and parts of Uptown!

Please send all submissions (can be actual images or link to Flickr or another source) to marketing@downtowndallas.org.

Ho Ho Ho!  Happy Hunting!

-Kristy

Oncor Announces New Downtown Location for Headquarters

——DOWNTOWNDALLAS Breaking News——–

Oncor Announces New Downtown Location for Headquarters

December 9, 2009. 3:15p.m. – Oncor has announced that it will move the company’s more than 500 employees and support personnel to 1616 Woodall Rodgers Freeway.

The company’s continued growth has led it to hire more employees, therefore requiring more space. The 265,000 square-foot building will meet the company’s current needs and future growth.

As quoted in the announcement, Oncor specifically chose the new location because of the vibrant growth occurring in the Central Business District, as well as access to mass transit.

“We’re looking forward to the move,” Chairman and CEO Bob Shapard said. “This is a wonderful time to be in the CBD, with the construction of the new Woodall Rodgers Park, the growth of the Arts District and the other improvements taking place in downtown. We’re excited to be a part of that growth. And we’re excited to have a building to call our own.”

DOWNTOWNDALLAS President & CEO, John Crawford, commented, “As a pillar of the Dallas community, Oncor’s lasting commitment to Downtown is proven once again with their decision to remain Downtown. As the largest employment center in North Texas, it is critical that we retain our corporate citizens in addition to recruiting new business. Oncor’s decision, particularly with the reasons cited, is proof of the lasting value of a Downtown address.

Oncor plans to make its move in the first part of 2010.

Late Night in the NM Holiday Window Crawl Tubes

The night before City Lights we ran rehearsals until midnight, so as you can imagine our exhaustion met with delierium – specifically in the Neiman Marcus crawl tubes.  Despite the fact our obvious age,  height, weight, state of mind.. disqualified us from going through, Ignaz was too eager to let Kourtny and me experience his creation.  I think at that point everyone needed a good laugh, which we provided times ten. Particularly at the halfway point in the tubes, the “dance” energy opens up out of the tubes to the full window with music playing…so yes, we broke out into full dance listening to Outkast, Hey Ya.  Bueno.

I hope these pictures can at least get a  chuckle out of you!

About to enter...

And I'm in the tubes

Now Kourt, a little less than thrilled at having her picture taken

aannnnd the dancing begins

Kourtny cam

Kristy cam

done! And was sore the next day..

-Kristy