Sunday Flashback: Dallas West End
This flashback began with a discussion between myself and the famous “door” at Edna’s bar along the old Classen Circle. With the addition of the Drunken Fry, 51st Street Speakeasy, a handful of other veteran bars and surrounding Belle Isle development, it’s fair to say this area has the potential to become yet another thriving entertainment district with and emphasis on bars and clubs. For whatever reason, the Door, friendly enough, makes it a point to promote the area at the expense of Bricktown (indicating parking and traffic is bad, area is expensive). At some point in this Twitter conversation I pointed out that West End is a reminder that districts like Bricktown are not invincible.
I spent a few days in West End, Dallas in 2006 not long after the landmark West End Marketplace closed. I returned last year and found that conditions hadn’t improved much. The marketplace was, and still is, closed. The area is now a forgettable mix of restaurants and clubs that include well-worn names like TGIFridays.
You might notice in this 2006 story that there was a hope in West End that development of Victory Park would reverse its fortunes. No such benefit has taken place. And Victory is, from what I saw, a far cry from being the 24/7 success story originally envisioned. Major projects have been shelved and the ground floor store fronts are dead and empty.
So now in 2010 we have another “victory” being pursued in an area we call “Core to Shore” – and we’re told Bricktown has had its share. No need for it to be included in Project 180, no need for it be a major recipient of MAPS 3. Thanks to Edna’s door, a fresh read of this story was well overdue.
THIS STORY WAS PUBLISHED IN 2006:
DALLAS — Fourteen years ago, a delegation of Bricktown developers and merchants traveled to the West End district in Dallas to learn what it takes to create a successful entertainment district.
West End was the region’s premier entertainment district, drawing millions of visitors and sparking a revitalization of downtown Dallas.
Greg Schooley, executive director of the West End Association, hasn’t seen the Bricktown visitors since. But they still may have something left to learn from one of the region’s oldest downtown entertainment districts.
West End, Schooley said, is in a transition. Others say it’s dying a slow death.
“On the face of it, it doesn’t look good,” Schooley said. “But as much as you see some empty space in the district, you need to know that there is still a lot here. A lot of deals are in the works, and the end result will be good.”
The West End Marketplace, once home to a 10 screen theater, five floors of retail and a Planet Hollywood restaurant, closed for good in June. Also dark is Dallas Alley, the former mega-club complex that once boasted the highest concentration of liquor sales in Texas. Gone also are landmark West End restaurants Dick’s Last Resort, Tony Roma’s and Lombardi’s.
Ed Shelton, strolling West End with his wife Cessnie, was shocked to see a district that on a Friday night two weeks ago was a virtual ghost town. Less than a dozen people were gathered to listen to a free musical performance in the plaza outside the West End Marketplace. The Oklahoma City couple didn’t see any hints of decline when they last visited West End six years ago.
“These streets used to be filled with people,” Ed Shelton said. “It’s totally changed.”
Standing in front of the darkened Tony Roma’s, the Sheltons said they were in Dallas for a friend’s wedding and thought the West End might be a fun night-time distraction. Instead, the only excitement consisted of hustlers selling flowers and Hare Krishna followers dancing, singing and offering out free cookies.
“We might as well go back to the hotel,” said a disappointed Cessnie Shelton, clutching a small flower bouquet. The couple said their first thought was of Bricktown as they first encountered the quiet West End.
“I think we’re seeing in Bricktown what was here five years ago,” he said. “I’d hate to see it get to where it is like this.”
Perception problems and solutions
The Bricktown Association estimates the downtown Oklahoma City entertainment district now draws more than 10 million visitors a year, rivaling West End’s popularity at its peak in the early 1990s.
But Bricktown is battling complaints about parking, that it’s becoming too touristy and after some recent shootings that it might be dangerous late at night. West End fought off similar image problems.
And West End is no longer the exclusive downtown hot spot in Dallas. In the past decade, competition emerged in the off-beat Deep Ellum and the more urbane West Village, Greenville and McKinney districts.
Josh Adkins, one of hundreds enjoying a hot, hazy Saturday afternoon recently at a West Village restaurant, took comfort in thinking that area is also off the radar of out-of-town visitors.
Adkins cited a list of reasons why locals have abandoned West End: no free parking, street hustlers and a gang element late at night.
“West End is for tourists,” said Adkins, a Dallas resident. “I’ve not been there since college — back when Reagan was president. I’ll bet nobody else around here has either.”
But even tourists arriving at West End are disappointed. The district was a favorite downtown Dallas destination for Oklahomans throughout the 1980s and 1990s. But as they return, they’re seeing a West End that falls short of the district they knew and loved.
“I’ve not been here in five or six years,” said Marilyn Wallace of Altus. “I’m just kind of shocked this has all dried up.”
Like the Sheltons, Wallace and Edmond resident Denise Kramer’s discovery of a locked up Marketplace spelled the end of their brief visit to West End.
“There is no retail here anymore, so it’s only restaurants,” Kramer said.
“Bricktown is trying to incorporate a lot of clubs and bars and retail, and stuff to do other than eating, so that’s good.
“I’m impressed they’re turning it around, it’s really expanded beyond the Bricktown area and I think they’ve really cleaned it up a lot.”
Schooley warns against declaring West End dead, and says it is emerging from years when it wasn’t quite sure whether it wanted to be a family destination or an adult club district.
“We had our heyday in the late ’80s and early ’90s,” Schooley said.
“That’s when Dallas Alley was open, we had all the nightclubs, and they were rolling. In the ’90s, we stayed flat — we were stagnant.”
Part of that stagnation is blamed on the Dallas city council’s refusal to create a business improvement district (BID) in West End to pay for security, marketing and cleanup — even as BID assessments were set up for other emerging districts including Deep Ellum and Victory around the American Airlines Arena.
Tax Increment Financing for new development also was withheld from West End even as it too was extended to competing entertainment districts, including West Village.
“The city turned us down every time,” Schooley said. “We would get a pat on the head and be told ‘you’re the West End — you’re doing just fine.’”
So to this day, the district’s upkeep and operations are supported only by association dues and special events.
Forced to stand out on their own, Schooley said district’s merchants and property owners had to decide, “what do we want to be?”
West End made its choice, and is now looking at everything in terms of whether it will draw families.
Special events, including the Taste of Dallas and OU/Texas Weekend, still draw tens of thousands of visitors, and Schooley said the district hasn’t had to turn away people because of a lack of parking.
West End might not be what it was, but better days are ahead, Schooley said.
“We actually have chains leaving, and local stuff coming in,” he said.
“We’re drawing more attractions — the House of Blues is coming in, the Museum of Nature and Science coming in, the Holocaust Museum coming in.
“And with the House of Blues coming in, we think that will bring back the clubs … I’m proud of the fact the district has survived as well as it has.”
The Convention Center Debate Continues
Mayor Mick Cornett instructed the MAPS oversight board at their first meeting in May that only one site – the one he favors south of Ford Center and across from the planned central park – will have $280 million budgeted, that all others will be funded at $250 million.
He also indicated the group has just two good sites to consider – the one south of Ford Center and the one south of Lower Bricktown where the Southwestern Producers Coop is now being listed by Gary Gregory for $121 million (Gregory came up with the price based on major land sales in Dallas and Nashville prior to the 2008 economic crash).
Today we see the mayor’s instructions may or may not hold (read here).
On June 29, I compiled the following history of this topic – a timeline I intend to maintain as developments merrit:
The Core to Shore task force NEVER voted or agreed on any favored sites.
- Core to Shore planners situated the convention center south of Ford Center on maps and renderings at the direction of the mayor (I was at the meeting), who at the time indicated they were not to reflect any chosen site, but rather to serve as a placeholder.
- During the MAPS 3 campaign, the mayor told residents the south of Ford Center site had been picked as the best location for the proposed convention center.
- The only experts to look at the convention center – HOK and the Urban Land Institute – advised that the site south of Ford Center is least viable for such a facility. The mayor did not attend the presentation of the Urban Land Institute report.
- The same experts gave high marks to two sites – the lumberyard south of Bricktown and a site north of Bricktown along Main Street – that the mayor has consistently indicated are not going to be considered.
- The mayor told the MAPS 3 oversight board at their first meeting on May 27 that regardless of where they locate a convention center, $30 million of the money reserved for the convention center must go toward buying out the OG&E substation and property on the south of Ford Center convention center site.
- The council has held no vote on allocating $30 million for the OG&E property.
- The council has held no vote on limiting consideration of convention center locations to the two sites listed by the mayor – the south of Ford Center site and the Southwestern Producers Coop site (for which owners are seeking to sell it for $121 million)
- On June 22, City Manager Jim Couch said “no due diligence” had occurred in regard to choosing a site for the proposed convention center. During the same conversation the mayor reiterated there are just two sites being considered for a new convention center.
- On July 22, members of the MAPS 3 citizens oversight board indicated they will not limit their site selection to the two sites presented by the mayor. Councilman Larry McAtee, also a member of the group, said $280 million will be available for whatever site is chosen for a convention center. McAtee said the city council never voted or agreed to reserve $30 million of the $280 million for buying out OG&E property on the south of Ford Center.
So, once more, let’s go back to where this discussion started with a video and quote from Mayor Mick Cornett at an Oct. 21, 2009 “Breaking Through” luncheon:
We have a really good site picked out in Core to Shore planning. Put it on the boulevard, right next to the park. We’re going to continue to revisit the site because this is a pretty big decision. I want to make sure we have a strong concensus in the community that this is the best site. But the things to keep in mind is where are the hotels, where is bricktown? Do not get too far away from either of those two entities. I think the current site addresses that adequately. But there are other sites we can consider and we’ll do that on the other side of the vote if it’s successful.
See video below:
Mayor Cornett on the MAPS 3 Convention Center from imagiNATIVEamerica on Vimeo.
New Interstate 40 Crosstown Expressway Photos
Union Station
Walker Avenue railroad viaduct
New I-40 Under Construction
The tunnels behind Union Station
Is There a Core to Shore Conspiracy?
That’s not my question or comment – it is the question being brought up by Nick Roberts on his latest blog post, as he delves into Tuesday’s city council meeting and the use of the “conspiracy” word by the mayor. Read it here
History
Things to consider about the MAPS 3 convention center:
- The Core to Shore task force NEVER voted or agreed on any favored sites.
- Core to Shore planners situated the convention center south of Ford Center on maps and renderings at the direction of the mayor (I was at the meeting), who at the time indicated they were not to reflect any chosen site, but rather to serve as a placeholder.
- During the MAPS 3 campaign, the mayor told residents the south of Ford Center site had been picked as the best location for the proposed convention center.
- The only experts to look at the convention center – HOK and the Urban Land Institute – advised that the site south of Ford Center is least viable for such a facility. The mayor did not attend the presentation of the Urban Land Institute report.
- The same experts gave high marks to two sites – the lumberyard south of Bricktown and a site north of Bricktown along Main Street – that the mayor has consistently indicated are not going to be considered.
- The mayor told the MAPS 3 oversight board that regardless of where they locate a convention center, $30 million of the money reserved for the convention center must go toward buying out the OG&E substation and property on the south of Ford Center convention center site.
- The council has held no vote on allocating $30 million for the OG&E property.
- The council has held no vote on limiting consideration of convention center locations to the two sites listed by the mayor – the south of Ford Center site and the Southwestern Producers Coop site (for which owners are seeking to sell it for $121 million)
- On Tuesday City Manager Jim Couch said “no due diligence” had occurred in regard to choosing a site for the proposed convention center. During the same conversation the mayor reiterated there are just two sites being considered for a new convention center.
With the exception of Tuesday’s developments, I’m reporting to you what’s been in the public record for weeks if not months.
Nick Roberts Goes to Bat
You’ve got to give Nick Roberts credit – he’s got guts. He took on the mayor and council today over what he feels is a “railroading” of the convention center site.
What’s most interesting is that City Manager Jim Couch, Mayor Mick Cornett and Councilman Larry McAtee say there has been NO site selected, no due diligence done. YET – the mayor once again said the convention center site selection is down to TWO sites. (The mayor also dismissed concerns about the convention center selection process as “conspiracy talk”).
Couch, meanwhile, told Nick city staff made a mistake describing this as a link between the park and the proposed convention center. He added this improvement is needed with or without the convention center – thus possibly eliminating the possibility that this expenditure will be cited as cause to move forward with Cornett’s favored site at a future date.
I don’t have a phone number for Nick – though I’m a reader of his blog, www.downtownontherange.blogspot.com. I look forward to catching up with him soon….
Will the City Council Approve $1.1 Million to Ensure Connection Between Central Park and “Proposed Convention Center”?
That’s the question Tuesday morning on agenda item VI.AT.1 as city staff notes that the new I-40, previously promoted as being below grade will now be simply depressed or at grade. They are asking to tap unused bond funds to build some sort of box that would somehow prevent the new highway ramp from cutting off the MAPS 3 central park from the “proposed convention center.”
Maybe, just maybe, I was asked today by one reader, there should be a re-evaluation of Core to Shore all together? Can the Core to Shore concept work if it has a highway going through it “at grade?” Are any of the assumptions of the Core to Shore study valid anymore with this new highway design? And is anyone asking why so much money is being spent for a “proposed convention center site” that has been deemed LEAST VIABLE by HOK consultants and the Urban Land Institute?
The mayor has said repeatedly that there will a fair consideration given to all potential convention center sites. But at what point will the city have committed so much money to this site favored by Mayor Mick Cornett (I’ve heard no other elected official favor this site) that residents will be told “it’s too late – we’ve spent too much money on this one site to consider any other?”
The city council meets at 8:30 a.m. on the third floor of City Hall. Anyone wishing to speak on this item should show up in advance and fill out a notice indicating your intent.
I’m Not Even Thinking About Giving In Yet…
The news goes on friends. I’ll be watching every property transaction in Core to Shore, and I’ll still be asking questions. And this goes out to one person in particular… I hope you have a very good day today.
101 SW 6
101 SW 6
Now, Back to that “Old News” …
On February 17 I posted the following:
So is there really going to be an open and unbiased look at where to build the convention center? As I pursue this question, let’s look back at what we were told during the campaign. First up, a video and quote from Mayor Mick Cornett at an Oct. 21, 2009 “Breaking Through” luncheon:
We have a really good site picked out in Core to Shore planning. Put it on the boulevard, right next to the park. We’re going to continue to revisit the site because this is a pretty big decision. I want to make sure we have a strong concensus in the community that this is the best site. But the things to keep in mind is where are the hotels, where is bricktown? Do not get too far away from either of those two entities. I think the current site addresses that adequately. But there are other sites we can consider and we’ll do that on the other side of the vote if it’s successful.
See video below:
Mayor Cornett on the MAPS 3 Convention Center from imagiNATIVEamerica on Vimeo.
Now, after watching this and hearing this, it appears that we have two messages that came out: yeah, the mayor had a favored location, but he was promising it wasn’t a done deal.
In case there’s any confusion over this, let’s look at what was reported in the Oct. 21, 2009 Gazette:
Regarding the convention center’s exact location, Williams said four possible sites are being considered: south of the existing Ford Center, at Producers Cooperative Oil Mill facility, the lumberyard north of that facility or the Deep Deuce area north of Bricktown.
Cornett said the community will have input in public discussions for all potential sites if MAPS 3 is approved.
Will there be a real discussion of where the convention center will be built? And what will that discussion be?
UPDATE:
Marsh Pitman, who developed the Bricktown garage and Hampton Inn, posted this comment in the Convention Center Report post thread:
There is no rational reason to put the convention center on the park. I think the city has decided if they don’t put it there, nothing will develop there for years to come.
Proximity to hotels, restaurants, bars, movie theaters and other entertainment should serve as the criteria for selecting a convention center site. Period. We should not simply consider what is best for convention business, but consider what is best for the City as a whole.
After reading the HOK Convention Site Study, it is clear that there are only two sites worth considering. The #1 ranked site on the Lumberyard south of Bricktown and the #2 ranked site on East Main Street north of Bricktown. While the Lumberyard site might be better from a purely convention business perspective, the East Main Street site, with improved proximity to the CBD and existing hotels, including the Skirvin, might be the better choice from the OKC community’s perspective.
Have a look for yourself and see what you think. Here is the HOK Study obtained from the City: HOK Convention Center Site Study – January 2008
