looking uptown - Uptown Dallas

vol ume 2, numb er 2 • july 2010
looking up town
Uptown Turnaround
A
popular question being raised
this summer is what happened
to the Hank Haney driving range
on McKinney Avenue between Cityplace
West Boulevard and Blackburn Street. The
much-loved driving course closed in March
2010 and an exciting new project will
soon be taking its place. Recently, Neal
Sleeper of Cityplace Company, who owns
the expansive 10 acres of land, revealed
his plans and thoughts about the redo
of Hank Haney and the remarkable new
developments for the now empty space. His
plans include the addition of pocket parks,
eye catching art structures, impressive
residential and retail establishments,
a temporary performance space and a
striking new trolley turntable. While some
of the projects are contingent upon the
market, the trolley turntable is a project
used since they would not be able to turn
will be an interesting and impressive
around once they got to the station. The
structure aesthetically, and also highlight
addition of the trolley turntable would
the importance of public transport.
allow for more trolley cars to be used,
As
the
plans
currently
stand,
resulting in faster and more convenient
construction is set to begin in September
part by the Cityplace TIFF, the trolley
transportation in and out of the Uptown
on the street expansions of Noble and Oak
turntable creates a unique way for people
area. The turntable will further emphasize
Grove to Blackburn, plus the addition of
to get from the DART Metro Station into
the existence of the Cityplace Metro
the Howell Street extension. Construction
and around the Uptown area. The need for
Station, which a large number of people
on the turntable itself will begin in the
a trolley turntable was first brought up in
are unaware of, and encourage more
fall with importance being placed on the
2000 when the trolley lines were extended
people to use the public transportation
to Cityplace Station. It was discovered
system. Mr. Sleeper’s hopes are that the
that the one directional cars could not be
project will provide a public space that
that will be starting soon. Funded in large
environmental aspects of the project.
The innovative structure is in a highly
visible part of Uptown and a great deal of
planning has gone into making sure that it
is easily accessible and will require little
maintenance. Based on these guidelines
Good, Fulton and Farrell and TBG architects
have come up with a unique and aweinspiring design that will use mainly wood,
concrete and steel with very few painted
surfaces, resulting in minimal upkeep. The
plans include ten concrete columns that
hold up a shaded structure, reminiscent
of a traditional round house with a
Continued on page 5...
The of f icial newsletter of Uptown Dallas, Inc., a non-prof it corporation dedicated to representing and promoting business and social life that is uniquely Uptown.
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Griggs Park Update
I would like to thank all of you that attended our Annual Property
Owners meeting on June 16, 2010. I hope all of your questions
were answered to your satisfaction. There were several questions
on the status of the Griggs Park upgrading. This will be a good
time to update you on our plans for the park.
Over the past few years the park has steadily declined in appearance and usability.
Due to budget constraints within the City of Dallas Park Department, fewer and fewer
maintenance services are being performed on all parks throughout the city. Griggs Park
was especially affected as it is not a fully irrigated park and was heavily used by league
sports play. This activity created a bigger burden on the city maintenance budget,
especially maintaining the lights as they are on the verge of being condemned and
would have to be replaced with new light standards.
Several neighborhood meetings were organized and held in 2008 and 2009 with over
1,800 notices sent to residents each time we had a meeting. Out of these meetings, a
general scope of what the park should look like and what it should contain were agreed
upon. Unfortunately, this design was too costly and it had to be scaled back to meet
the anticipated revenue that would be available for the project. More than 75% of the
respondents for the various meetings expressed a strong desire to eliminate league play
at the park. The reasons cited were, congested vehicles, almost no parking available,
noise, lights, litter and vandalism that sometimes occurred.
The items that these residents most wanted in the park were a fully irrigated turf,
walking trails, landscaping, play area, security lighting, and areas for pick-up games of
all types. The residents overwhelmingly wanted a neighborhood park that is safe, clean
and fully accessible for family activities.
The Park Department has now changed the designation of Griggs Park to a neighborhood
park from a league play park. Plans are in place for league play to cease at the end of this
season as other fields have been secured for the teams to use. Hopefully, construction
can begin in the first quarter of 2011.
We look forward to partnering with the City of Dallas Park Department to transform
Griggs Park into a truly useable and attractive park that can be enjoyed by all our
residents. As Uptown’s only major park, we know all our residents will join us in helping
to make it an area we can be proud of.
Jim Reagan
CEO, Uptown Dallas, Inc.
The Woodall
Rodgers Park
Luncheon
Uptown Dallas, Inc. co-hosted a special
Earth Day Picnic with the Woodall Rodgers
Park Foundation to unveil the brand new
model of The Park on April 20, 2010 at
the Dallas Center for Architecture. To help
celebrate, Willis Winters, Dallas Assistant
Parks Director, spoke to the crowd about
The Park’s positive environmental effect
on Dallas. The Park adds 5.2 acres of
public space to the Dallas city center and
will house 322 trees, 904 shrubs, 3,292
other assorted plants and 40,000 square
feet of lawn space. The Park’s trees will
not only reduce noise pollution but will
also sequester an estimated seven tons of
carbon per year at maturity. The Park will
feature a high efficiency irrigation system
that will limit water lost to overspray and
evaporation and will save about 350,000
gallons of water a year. High-efficiency
LED lighting with a lighting management
system will result in an annual savings of
about 94,000 kilowatts of electricity and
the solar recycling and trash receptacles
will compact discarded material, resulting
in further reduction of energy usage.
Uptown Dallas, Inc. has donated $350,000
to The Park and has been a long-time
supporter of the project as part of its
overall goal to support and secure more
green initiatives and looks forward to the
opening of The Park.
The Uptown Dallas, Inc. board members and The Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation members at
the unveiling of the new model at the Dallas Center for Architecture.
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volume 2, number 2
7/9/10 3:38 PM
New Seats
Three new benches have been
installed along McKinney Ave. at
the corners of Blackburn, Allen and
Worthington. Pedestrians will now
have a place to rest while waiting for
the trolley. This was made possible
by a generous donation from the
Monterey Apartment Homes, part of
the Windsor Communities. A check
for $1,200 was presented to Uptown
Dallas, Inc. at the grand opening of
the apartments.
Farm-toMarket
This June, West Village debuted
Farm-to-Market (FM 3699), Uptown’s
first local farmer’s market. FM 3699
provides an authentic farm fresh
experience to urban dwellers in the
heart of Uptown with everything
from seasonal fruits and vegetables
to artisan baked goods and air
roasted coffee beans. FM 3699 runs every Saturday throughout the summer
from 8am to Noon in West Village’s South Alley, between Mi Cocina and The
Magnolia Theatre.
Board Profile: Phil Cobb
Phil Cobb, owner and founder of Cobb Companies is a true Uptown visionary. Having started and maintained a number of business
developments in the area since 1976, Mr. Cobb has seen Uptown rise from the ashes into the metropolitan haven it is today. The Ohio
native is one of the original founders of the Black Eyed Pea Restaurant concept and truly knows what it is like to build something
from nothing. Mr. Cobb currently serves as the MATA (McKinney Ave. Transit Authority) CEO and it is safe to say that without him we
probably would not have the McKinney Ave. trolleys. In the 1980s Mr. Cobb was one of the original founders of the McKinney Ave.
beautification project. While repairing McKinney Ave., the original trolley tracks and historic brick streets were discovered after
removing the old asphalt. Trolley expert Ed Landrum discovered that the trolley track crowns were in great condition and trolley cars
could run without much maintenance or repair for at least 50 years before new tracks would be needed. Mr. Cobb saw a video of the
last time a trolley car was operated in Uptown, which was January 15th, 1956, and he knew that he wanted to add the trolley service
back to the area. In 1983, Mr. Cobb and several area developers were able to receive two federal grants and raise
$2 million from private developers to setup the starter line for the McKinney Ave. trolley and car restorations.
The trolley has been operating for 20 years and ridership has increased from 40,000 to over 309,000 riders
per year.
Among his other roles Mr. Cobb also serves as Uptown Dallas, Inc.’s Capital Improvements chair and has
a number of goals for the Uptown Public Improvement District. Some of his committee’s projects include:
improvements to Griggs Park, extension of the trolley line to connect to area DART stations, installment of
additional historic lights on Routh and Fairmount, improvements to the Oak Grove sidewalks, and adding
lights to the Greenwood Cemetery columns so they match the lights on Calvary Cemetery. His long term
plans for the neighborhood include: paving all the remaining alleys, adding public art and
historical markers to highlight the rich history and beauty of Uptown, further improve
the trolley by adding quiet wheels and installing additional security cameras.
With an ambitious personality like Mr. Cobb’s at the helm of Uptown’s Capital
Improvements Committee, great opportunities and enhancements for Uptown
are sure to continue.
july 2010
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page 3
7/9/10 3:38 PM
The All About Uptown Festival: A Celebration of Art and Living is gearing up
for its third annual extravaganza. The Festival will be held on Saturday, September
25th, 11am-10pm on Fairmount St. between McKinney Ave. and Cedar Springs.
In addition to amazing live music, food from the hottest Uptown restaurants,
exquisite pieces of arts and rare finds, the event will showcase all the best Uptown
has to offer! Look for your favorite chef in the Chef Showcase, bring your pet
to the Post Properties Pets “R” Uptown area supported by City Vet, experience
a free trolley ride and historic tour or relax and enjoy the laidback musical
stylings from the Hillcrest Bank Performer’s Stage. Whatever you fancy, the
All About Uptown Festival has a taste of it all. To top it all off we still have a
few sponsorships and booth rental opportunities available, so visit our website
www.allaboutuptown.com or call Shazia Shafi at 469.341.1199 to become a part of
the best festival in Dallas.
We would like to thank our 2010 returning Festival Sponsors: Ben E. Keith, Cork,
City Vet, Floss, Hillcrest Bank, Koons Real Estate Law, Post Properties, Premium
Passport, Rosewood Crescent Hotel, State Representative Dan Branch, The Capital
Grille, Zodiac Valet Trash, and ZRS Management. We are thrilled with the festival
growth and our new sponsors for this year: Baylor Medical Center at Uptown,
Methodist Uptown Medical Group and Wells Fargo.
Uptown Public Improvement District
Committee Highlight By Adrian Norbury, Marketing Committee Chair
Uptown Dallas, Inc. is made up of a variety of different
has a community section, calendar of events, and pertinent
committees who are responsible for maintaining various aspects
visitor and business information. In addition to the website,
of Uptown Dallas including public safety, capital improvements,
the bi-monthly e-newsletters and quarterly printed articles let
maintenance and several others. The Marketing Committee of
people know what is going on in Uptown. Another goal of the
Uptown Dallas, Inc. is charged with promoting all that is great
marketing committee is to promote the achievements of the
about the district, as well as attracting visitors, residents
other committees and organizations in the district, like the
and businesses to the Uptown area. This is achieved through a
public safety committee who is responsible for the installment
variety of channels including the website, www.uptowndallas.
of the security cameras in Uptown that has resulted in crime
net, which offers a wealth of information on topics and events
reduction and prevention! Currently the committee is hard
that are relevant to not only those who live and work in
at work on the 2010 All About Uptown Festival and has high
Uptown but also to visitors. The website is updated daily and
hopes that it will be the best festival to date.
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volume 2, number 2
7/9/10 3:38 PM
Uptown Turnaround
...continued from page 1
looking up town
A publication of
UPTOWN DALLAS, INC.
2808 McKinney Ave., Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75204
469.341.1199 office
214.871.7193 fax
w w w. u p t o w n d a l l a s . n e t
EDITOR
Shazia Shafi
Marketing Coordinator
shazia@uptowndallas.net
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Armstrong
Paula Lambert
Armstrong Berger
Mozzarella Company
Mikel Bowers
Jeffrey Manning
Bell Nunnally &
Martin LLP
Manning Wellness Clinic
Richard Brink
Huitt-Zollars, Inc.
George Marks
CareTinuum
Richard Brown
REB Consulting
Robert Carrozza
Center City, Inc.
Albert Chapman
Abbott Laboratories, Inc.
twenty-first century contemporary twist.
Central Expressway service road. Plans for
One of the goals of the architects is to
the trolley turntable include renovating
Douglas Chesnut
Gables Residential
Phil Cobb
add weather protection elements that will
the station stop so that it opens up onto
Cobb Companies
keep people covered and dry in times of
the new trolley turn-around (facing West
John Costello
inclement weather. This will be achieved
by adding an extended canopy to the
columns that will provide a shaded area
for protection from the elements.
The approximately 18,000 square feet
of space for the trolley turntable area
represents a joint effort between Uptown
Dallas, Inc., MATA (McKinney Avenue
Village) instead of speeding cars. This will
not only provide a safer option, but will
also create a physical connection between
DART and MATA. The Uptown Dallas, Inc.
Raytheon
Bob Edmonson
Allie Beth Allman
& Associates
Telemachus Evans
Maintenance Committee will be charged
Office of Economic
Development
with maintaining some of the aspects of
Edward Hamilton
the trolley turntable as well as the upkeep
The Hanover Company
Judy Smith Hearst
Transit Authority) and DART. Currently,
of the landscaped area. Uptown Dallas,
Friends of State-Thomas
when people get off the elevator at
Inc. is extremely excited about the new
Jack Irwin
Cityplace Station they are faced with
trolley turntable and what it will bring to
hazardous on-coming traffic from the
the area, its visitors, and residents.
JCIA, Inc.
Dennis King
Rosewood Property Co.
Patricia Meadows
Art Connections
Adrian Norbury
Rosewood Crescent Hotel
Judson Pankey
Prescott Realty Group
Paula Peters
Communities Foundation
Todd Petty
Greenway Investment Co.
Joseph Pitchford
Crescent Real Estate
Equities
James Reeder
Technology Enablers, Inc.
Hank Rossi
Uptown Insurance
Ken Rothman
Uptown Bar & Grill
Neal Sleeper
Cityplace Company
Cheryl Thompson
Uptown Resident
Michael Turner
J. Elmer Turner
Realtors, Inc.
Kathy Koons
Laura VanLoh
Koons Real Estate Law
Post Properties, Inc.
© 2010 Uptown Dallas, Inc.
All rights reserved.
No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in any form in any
media without the express written
permission of Uptown Dallas, Inc.
july 2010
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page 5
7/9/10 3:38 PM
Lure Salon
Spring brought with it pretty
flowers, April showers and new
businesses to the Uptown area.
Some of the latest establishments
to call our neighborhood home
include: Pinkberry, Sfuzzi, and
CityVille Katy Trail.
Perry’s
Steakhouse and Grille
CityVille Katy Trail
3223 Lemmon Ave.
214.443.8380
www.cityville-apts.com
CityVille Katy Trail, located on
the corner of Cole and Lemmon, is
a brand new 227 unit residential
property featuring resort style
living accommodations within the
elegance of a boutique hotel. The
apartment community is now preleasing and will also feature two
restaurants on the street level.
2000 McKinney Ave., Suite 100
214.855.5151
www.perryssteakhouse.com
Perry’s Restaurants latest location,
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, is famous for
its selection of butcher-fresh prime beef,
dry aged in house for 28 days and signature
pork chops. The restaurant is open for lunch
and dinner and features five private dining
rooms, a wine wall featuring more than
5,000 bottles and personal wine lockers.
3839 McKinney Ave., Ste 100
214.919.5873
www.luresalondallas.com
Lure Salon opened
in May on the corner
of Blackburn and Cole
and offers the latest
in hair-care but with
an organic approach.
The salon’s wellrenowned stylists will
lure you in and the eco-friendly salon,
healthy treats and detox teas are sure to
keep you coming back for more.
Dimples Cupcakes
3000 Blackburn St.
214.520.3344
www.dimplescupcakes.com
Uptown
has
a new way to
satisfy your sweet
tooth, Dimples
Cupcakes. The
sweet treat
haven
is
open late,
until at least 10pm, and serves
fresh baked cupcakes ranging
in options from red velvet to
wedding cake. Stop by and grab an
assortment of a dozen to add some
flavor to any occasion.
Wink: A Threading Salon
2533 McKinney Ave.
214.953.0300
www.sfuzziuptown.com
Twenty five years ago Sfuzzi was a
McKinney Ave. hot spot and now it’s
back. The New York style brick oven
pizzeria offers fine Italian dining with a
few surprise options including seafood,
and sandwiches. Come early for weekend
brunch, starting at 10am and stay late on
Fridays and Saturdays with pizza being
served until 3am.
3839 McKinney Ave.
214.599.9465
www.winkthreading.com
Wink:
A
Threading Salon
is one of the
cutting
edge
salons to open
its
doors
in
Uptown.
With
precise
clean
lines, threading
is becoming the
“it” way to shape unruly eyebrows. The
unique salon is the first of its kind in Dallas
and is open from 10am to 7pm, Monday
through Saturday and from 11am to 6pm
on Sundays.
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Sfuzzi Uptown
UptownNewsletter_vol2no2.indd 6
Pinkberry
3839 McKinney Ave. #157
214.526.3100
www.pinkberry.com
The LA based frozen yogurt concept,
Pinkberry, has found its latest home in
West Village. Known for its tart frozen
treats and seasonal flavors like watermelon
and mango, the all natural frozen flavors
will keep you cool all summer long.
volume 2, number 2
7/9/10 3:38 PM
Annual Public Meeting 2010
By. Mary Alice Garrison
The annual meeting for property owners in Uptown was held on
June 16th at the Magnolia Theater in West Village. This meeting
informs the Uptown taxpayers how Uptown Dallas, Inc. is using the
tax revenue for improvement projects. A presentation was given by
three of the committee chairs on the UDI board. Phil Cobb, chairman
of the Capital Improvements committee gave an update on projects
such as Griggs Park, Cedar Springs Streetscape, alley paving and utility burial in the State-Thomas historical district. Public
Safety committee chairman, Al Chapman briefed the crowd on security cameras along McKinney Ave, and new safety initiatives,
such as the Block Captain program, being implemented in the neighborhood. Maintenance committee chairman, John Armstrong
described what maintenance encompasses: plantings and changing seasonal colors, irrigation, lighting, trees and tree grates,
bricks, trash removal and street sweeping. The meeting concluded with an informative question and answer session.
uptown seen
Phil Cobb, Boots Reeder and Jack Irwin.
Katie Beal, Earl Hoppenrath,
Lauren Gonyea, Dr. Ilana Bragin.
Johnnie Katz and Lucia Prieto.
Robert Carrozza, Patricia Meadows,
and Joseph Pitchford.
Mary Alice Garrison,
Dr. Kirkpatrick and Missy Lorant.
Linda Barone, Kay Irwin and Anne Bingham
july 2010
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page 7
7/9/10 3:39 PM
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE
PAID
DALLAS TX
PERMIT NO. 2311
2808 McKinney Ave.
Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75204
SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, September 25, 2010
11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
More than 20 Uptown Restaurants – Continuous Live Music
Arts Performances – Post Properties “Pets R Uptown” Area
Chef Showcase – Historic Home and Cemetery Tours
McKinney Avenue Trolley Rides – Uptown Kids Korner
Shopping at Artisan Booths
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volume 2, number 2
7/9/10 3:39 PM