Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum

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by Hannibal Lecter
16 Apr 2018 17:06
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Lower Greenville Development
Replies: 33
Views: 2436

Re: Lower Greenville Development

tamtagon wrote:So.... in the spreadsheet world of paying taxes on profit the biggest company in the world gets a touch more public assistance to lease empty buildings draining neighborhoods.


So not paying taxes on income you didn't make is now considered "public assistance"?
by Hannibal Lecter
16 Apr 2018 17:03
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Oak Cliff: Bishop Arts
Replies: 297
Views: 38611

Re: Oak Cliff: Bishop Arts

Tivo_Kenevil wrote:That Porsche tho..
Ain't no Porsches in that picture.
by Hannibal Lecter
10 Apr 2018 23:10
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum 1.0
Replies: 240
Views: 33677

Re: Deep Ellum 1.0

The Gabrielle (first time I've heard it called that) now has two cranes.
by Hannibal Lecter
08 Apr 2018 19:58
Forum: Rail + Guided Transit
Topic: Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Replies: 129
Views: 11392

Re: Dallas Area Rapid Transit

^ Dallas city hall.
by Hannibal Lecter
03 Apr 2018 16:36
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Downtown Dallas: Tower Petroleum - The Saint Elm Hotel (1907 Elm) & Corrigan Tower (1900 Pacific)
Replies: 113
Views: 15517

Re: Downtown Dallas: Tower Petroleum - The Saint Elm Hotel (1907 Elm) & Corrigan Tower (1900 Pacific)

Few things kills creativity, distinctiveness and value as when the government tries to regulate aesthetics as opposed to function. I recall reading years ago about a beautiful Victorian house in Santa Fe. It's one of the most beloved buildings in the city. And for decades it has been illegal to buil...
by Hannibal Lecter
28 Mar 2018 16:43
Forum: Rail + Guided Transit
Topic: DART Generated $7 Billion In TOD
Replies: 10
Views: 1301

Re: DART Generated $7 Billion In TOD

You do know how laughable this is, right? Michael Carroll has taken over as head of the UNT "Economics Research Group" from Bernard Weinstein. They're notorious for reaching whatever conclusion is desired by whoever is paying for the study. In this case DART takes responsibility for every ...
by Hannibal Lecter
15 Mar 2018 14:18
Forum: The Parks, Trails, + Miscellaneous Infrastructure
Topic: Pipes et cetera
Replies: 3
Views: 349

Re: Pipes et cetera

They're rebuilding it again? It doesn't seem that long since the last time they did it. I'm guessing 15-20 years. It should last MUCH longer than that.
by Hannibal Lecter
15 Mar 2018 14:15
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Uptown Dallas: Business Openings and Closings
Replies: 142
Views: 15710

Re: Uptown Dallas: Business Openings and Closings

^ You guys are just too young. There used to be plenty of cheap places in the 80's and into the 90's.
by Hannibal Lecter
09 Mar 2018 14:11
Forum: The Bus + Roads/Highways/Bridges
Topic: I-345
Replies: 140
Views: 7658

Re: I-345

It's been done successfully in many places with freeways just as central as I-345 (see the Embarcadero in SF or the Cheonggyecheon in Seoul to name two). Context varies, and projects can be screwed up, of course, but like.. it's not some crazy harebrained scheme that's obviously a boneheaded idea. ...
by Hannibal Lecter
09 Mar 2018 13:56
Forum: The Bus + Roads/Highways/Bridges
Topic: I-345
Replies: 140
Views: 7658

Re: I-345

Whatever is the outcome in the stay/go considerations, the primary mandate must be repairing the two surface street grids. With apologies to Johnny Cochran, "You can't repair what wasn't there." I-345 didn't haven't any significant effect on the street grid, because there wasn't much of a...
by Hannibal Lecter
03 Mar 2018 22:44
Forum: The Bus + Roads/Highways/Bridges
Topic: I-345
Replies: 140
Views: 7658

Re: I-345

^ You have a point. Since there are historically more fatalities on I-635 per passenger mile than on I-345 then my back-of-envelope estimate probably understated the number of fatalities that would result.

Thanks.

:)
by Hannibal Lecter
03 Mar 2018 14:28
Forum: The Bus + Roads/Highways/Bridges
Topic: I-345
Replies: 140
Views: 7658

Re: I-345

I wonder if the models provide any estimates on the number of people that would be killed by removing the highway? For those going "WTF???", here are some reasons... - Limited access highways are by far the safest roads. Move a couple hundred thousand cars a day onto surface streets and yo...
by Hannibal Lecter
26 Feb 2018 22:19
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: East Dallas: Ross Avenue Corridor
Replies: 96
Views: 12767

Re: East Dallas: Ross Avenue Corridor

A relative of mine picked up several key properties along the Knox-Henderson corridor back in the 80's. From the north side of Knox next to the (then future) Katy Trail down to corner of Henderson and Ross. Holding on to those properties ate up a lot of cash over the years. In retrospect he probably...
by Hannibal Lecter
26 Feb 2018 22:11
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Downtown Dallas: City Lights
Replies: 21
Views: 3364

Re: Downtown Dallas: City Lights

^ I've heard this will be a Tom Thumb gas station, but I don't have confirmation.
by Hannibal Lecter
21 Feb 2018 12:40
Forum: Rail + Guided Transit
Topic: DALLAS to HOUSTON High Speed Rail
Replies: 242
Views: 24724

Re: DALLAS to HOUSTON High Speed Rail

muncien wrote:That said, I stayed at Swisshotel, and the Silver Smith (1.5 and 1 miles respectively).


It's a small world. I stayed at the Silversmith my last time in Chicago.
by Hannibal Lecter
19 Feb 2018 09:59
Forum: City Issues/News
Topic: Short Survey for Dallas project - please help
Replies: 4
Views: 402

Re: Short Survey for Dallas project - please help

Cities have been offering services like this for free since the 70's. Years ago there were signs on the highways with a number to call. Never got much traction in DFW for multiple reasons: Multiple employment centers so everyone is going in different directions, non-standardized work schedules and m...
by Hannibal Lecter
06 Feb 2018 00:51
Forum: The Parks, Trails, + Miscellaneous Infrastructure
Topic: Drinking Water
Replies: 4
Views: 323

Re: Drinking Water

Banking the water is understandable, but at some point the loss of habit will need addressing -- the most logical solution to losing the Bois de arc creek is to recreate that habitat in the Dallas Trinity River Flood Channel. The map on https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2018/02/02/states-first-...
by Hannibal Lecter
01 Feb 2018 18:59
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum: Epic ~ Knights of Pythias Temple
Replies: 114
Views: 16902

Re: Deep Ellum: Epic ~ Knights of Pythias Temple

^ Which totally sucks.
by Hannibal Lecter
31 Jan 2018 18:10
Forum: Rail + Guided Transit
Topic: DALLAS to HOUSTON High Speed Rail
Replies: 242
Views: 24724

Re: DALLAS to HOUSTON High Speed Rail

mdg109 wrote:Also, I'm wondering what these pedestrian walkways will look like.


Panhandlers every 20 feet or so....
by Hannibal Lecter
31 Jan 2018 18:09
Forum: The Bus + Roads/Highways/Bridges
Topic: Margaret McDermott Bridge by Santiago Calatrava
Replies: 39
Views: 3457

Re: Margaret McDermott Bridge by Santiago Calatrava

^ Some of us have been saying that for 15+ years....
by Hannibal Lecter
26 Jan 2018 17:06
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum 1.0
Replies: 240
Views: 33677

Re: Deep Ellum 1.0

^ Crane went up yesterday.
by Hannibal Lecter
21 Jan 2018 01:10
Forum: City Issues/News
Topic: The DEEP ELLUM Thread
Replies: 4
Views: 457

Re: The DEEP ELLUM Thread

That's the SEC of Canton and Malcolm X.
by Hannibal Lecter
11 Jan 2018 13:10
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Downtown Dallas: The Drever
Replies: 226
Views: 29741

Re: Downtown Dallas: The Drever

Am I the only one who noticed the new video display on the north face of the building last night? Not particularly awe inspiring. Too small for the size of the building. Looks like someone just needed to check off the box labeled "animated LED lighting effects". Sorry for the low quality o...
by Hannibal Lecter
11 Jan 2018 11:53
Forum: City Issues/News
Topic: Corporate Relocations/Expansions
Replies: 141
Views: 16939

Re: Corporate Relocations/Expansions

It just depends on what type of employee they are targeting. Google (and similar companies) target intelligent, focused, motivated workaholics without any kind of life outside of work. That's why they have 24 hour free food, onsite bars, gyms, dry cleaners, playrooms, etc... -- so the employees nev...
by Hannibal Lecter
11 Jan 2018 11:39
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum 1.0
Replies: 240
Views: 33677

Re: Deep Ellum 1.0

Deep ellum needs an arcade. B4 has around 8 pinball machines in the back. The owner is looking at staying open late on Friday and Saturday and charging a cover for unlimited play. He's trying to talk me out of my Twilight Zone pin because the curio shop theme matches his store, but it's not going a...
by Hannibal Lecter
11 Jan 2018 11:34
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum 1.0
Replies: 240
Views: 33677

Re: Deep Ellum 1.0

It shows that, from a branding perspective at least, names like "Trinity", "Bishop" and "Deep Ellum" are emblematic of Dallas. I don't think "Uptown" or "Design District" have the same weight. Ironically the Deep Ellum Bar is in Boston. So popular t...
by Hannibal Lecter
22 Dec 2017 23:21
Forum: Rail + Guided Transit
Topic: the Cotton Belt line
Replies: 106
Views: 10862

Re: the Cotton Belt line

^ Sorry, I don't have time to go looking for those numbers. I'm sure you can Google them. I don't know what ridership projections you are referring to, but since DART LRT ridership has gone down every single year except when they opened new lines, any projections of increased ridership are suspiciou...
by Hannibal Lecter
19 Dec 2017 13:12
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: AT&T Discovery District
Replies: 70
Views: 10601

Re: AT&T Discovery District

AT&T plans to light up Dallas' skyline with new HQ display

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... hq-display
by Hannibal Lecter
15 Dec 2017 09:05
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Dallas Mockingbird Station
Replies: 25
Views: 4522

Re: Dallas Mockingbird Station

I would add that it was the local news media who made news stories connecting the bridge to stories of pedestrian deaths. Possibly even a neighborhood group somewhere making such a ridiculous claim. They needed an angle to cover the story of the bridge and the deaths seems like a good angle but the...
by Hannibal Lecter
14 Dec 2017 20:58
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Dallas Mockingbird Station
Replies: 25
Views: 4522

Re: Dallas Mockingbird Station

With that new pedestrian bridge connecting over Mockingbird I can see this overall area becoming popular as it also connects directly to DART rail station and off 75. Ironically the bridge is of almost no value to the people who live and work there. No one is going to walk hundreds of yards out of ...
by Hannibal Lecter
13 Dec 2017 13:08
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum 1.0
Replies: 240
Views: 33677

Re: Deep Ellum 1.0

DMN architecture critic Mark Lamster on Novel Deep Ellum: "this is how you destroy a city" I'd be interested to hear how he figures that. It seems to me that projects like this are how you reinvigorate a city. His take (in my words): Replacing a significant portion (that's a BIG block) of...
by Hannibal Lecter
13 Dec 2017 12:55
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum 1.0
Replies: 240
Views: 33677

Re: Deep Ellum 1.0

Tucy wrote:Link?


https://twitter.com/marklamster/status/ ... 0004012033
by Hannibal Lecter
12 Dec 2017 16:00
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum 1.0
Replies: 240
Views: 33677

Re: Deep Ellum 1.0

DMN architecture critic Mark Lamster on Novel Deep Ellum: "this is how you destroy a city"
by Hannibal Lecter
12 Dec 2017 10:12
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum 1.0
Replies: 240
Views: 33677

Re: Deep Ellum 1.0

The reaction here is the exact opposite of the people already in the neighborhood. Right down to people thinking the guitar sign sucks. :-)
by Hannibal Lecter
11 Dec 2017 20:55
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Downtown Dallas: Thanks-Giving Square
Replies: 88
Views: 9384

Re: Downtown Dallas: Thanks-Giving Square

All very real observations; thank you. You also forgot to mention the lack of accessibility (typical for its age), uneven pavement, and worn interiors. The downturn in garden maintenance started about 10 years ago when metal thieves stripped away copper electrical wiring (lighting), bronze drain gr...
by Hannibal Lecter
10 Dec 2017 14:09
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Downtown Dallas: Thanks-Giving Square
Replies: 88
Views: 9384

Re: Downtown Dallas: Thanks-Giving Square

Primarily from the dog waste and surrounding dog owners, or more? The first thing you see walking in the west entrance is the gravel area covered in dog waste. Not one of the water features was working. What are supposed to be grassy areas are as much mud as grass. Lots of dead vegetation. The wate...
by Hannibal Lecter
09 Dec 2017 17:51
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Downtown Dallas: Thanks-Giving Square
Replies: 88
Views: 9384

Re: Downtown Dallas: Thanks-Giving Square

I visited Thanksgiving Square today for probably the first time in almost 40 years. Absolutely disgusting and embarrassing. They need to just lock the gates.
by Hannibal Lecter
09 Dec 2017 17:46
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: North Dallas: Midtown
Replies: 99
Views: 12002

Re: North Dallas: Midtown

Back in the '80s I handled some bank REO assets in west Texas that had negative appraised values. You would have to spend money on environment remediation and/or demolition before you could even give the property away for free. I recall once getting a call from the Fire Chief in Floydada, texas to t...
by Hannibal Lecter
04 Dec 2017 00:16
Forum: Rail + Guided Transit
Topic: the Cotton Belt line
Replies: 106
Views: 10862

Re: the Cotton Belt line

^ Projections for new riders -- not cannibalized from the existing line -- on the D2 line are in the range of three to four dozen a day. So cost per new rider will be astronomical.
by Hannibal Lecter
28 Nov 2017 00:10
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Deep Ellum: Case Building (~197 FT / 18 ST)
Replies: 40
Views: 6389

Re: Deep Ellum: Case Building (~197 FT / 18 ST)

The bare concrete portions of the main building look really bad. I was hoping/expecting some kind of surface treatment to improve the appearance, but with the first residents already in that's looking less and less likely.
by Hannibal Lecter
12 Nov 2017 18:27
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: AT&T Discovery District
Replies: 70
Views: 10601

Re: AT&T Discovery District

They were doing a pretty decent light show on Whitacre Tower early Sunday morning, testing the new lights. No one will ever confuse it with the Omni or Reunion Tower, but the effects are closer to BOA than it is to One Arts.
by Hannibal Lecter
10 Nov 2017 10:55
Forum: The Airports
Topic: Dallas Love Field Airport
Replies: 23
Views: 3487

Re: Dallas Love Field Airport

The airport used to have over 70 gates. It property certainly handle more than 20.
by Hannibal Lecter
10 Nov 2017 10:48
Forum: The Bus + Roads/Highways/Bridges
Topic: Downtown: Cesar Chavez & Pearl re-do's
Replies: 30
Views: 2951

Re: Downtown: Cesar Chavez & Pearl re-do's

A road like this would be acceptable for an I-345 teardown because of the whole regional transportation bit, but Cesar Chavez doesn't play that role. The con man leading the I-345 fight and his idiot followers try to justify the removal economically by saying the ROW would be used for billions of d...
by Hannibal Lecter
06 Nov 2017 16:58
Forum: The Airports
Topic: DFW Airport
Replies: 107
Views: 13815

Re: DFW Airport

^ Not because of a lack of traffic. Because AA killed their code-sharing agreement.
by Hannibal Lecter
31 Oct 2017 21:10
Forum: City Issues/News
Topic: Corporate Relocations/Expansions
Replies: 141
Views: 16939

Re: Corporate Relocations/Expansions

^ Strange URL. I don't quite consider a stone's throw from Addison to be downtown Dallas.
by Hannibal Lecter
31 Oct 2017 21:05
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Northpark Center
Replies: 260
Views: 31370

Re: Northpark Center

Butters wrote:Btw, Please name three HPV shores NOT RESTAURANTS you visit more than 3 times per year.

Unless you count the movie theater as a store....never. Have not shopped in a store there even once.
by Hannibal Lecter
30 Oct 2017 12:54
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Northpark Center
Replies: 260
Views: 31370

Re: Northpark Center

Speaking as a member of the high disposable income, 50+ demographic that Northpark covets, things like watching my kid slide down the same planters his old man did 45 years before are why Northpark is the only shopping mall we've been to in the better part of a decade. Catering to parents is a big p...
by Hannibal Lecter
18 Oct 2017 19:13
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Could Dallas land Amazon HQ '2'?
Replies: 669
Views: 62620

Re: Could Dallas land Amazon HQ '2'?

Agreed, and given how Atlanta seems to address many of their other requirements, the $5B could enough to win HQ2 for them. As I've said, hopefully Texas is also willing to write a big check. Atlanta is still Hell on Earth. Horrible traffic. Wretched climate. Incredible racism. In a nutshell, there'...
by Hannibal Lecter
18 Oct 2017 19:07
Forum: Urban Development
Topic: Could Dallas land Amazon HQ '2'?
Replies: 669
Views: 62620

Re: Could Dallas land Amazon HQ '2'?

Here is one way to get yourself out of consideration... https://venturebeat.com/2017/10/17/in-an-open-letter-to-jeff-bezos-civic-groups-call-for-a-more-transparent-amazon-hq2-selection/ And how to get them to want to leave: https://reason.com/blog/2017/10/18/seattle-to-amazon-dont-leave-me-baby In ...
by Hannibal Lecter
13 Oct 2017 13:35
Forum: The Parks, Trails, + Miscellaneous Infrastructure
Topic: East Dallas: Abrams and Columbia road diet
Replies: 11
Views: 1194

Re: East Dallas: Abrams and Columbia road diet

After trying the Santa Fe trail a few times I went back to riding on Columbia. It's faster, and if you time the lights right you almost never have to stop -- unlike all the at-grade crossings on the trail. I've even been known to beat buses from Exposition Park to Gaston. :-) Ironically, the past co...

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