Dallas Progress

My Current Take on Southwest Center Mall

2009-06-29T04:23:00.018-05:00

A lot has been written lately about Southwest Center Mall. A $120,000 study has been commissioned and presented. Shawn Williams wrote an article for DMagazine. Numerous editorials from various newspapers have been published. I'm not sure if people are going to like what I like to say about the mall, but that's life.

I've been writing about the mall since I started Dallas Progress.

One thing that has to be done, no matter whose feathers get ruffled, is to face facts about the area around the mall. The area around the mall is in shambles.

I don't feel safe in this area; that is why I have decided to move my family from this neighborhood. The main reason that stores have left is one of the same reasons that I am leaving. All of the writing, trying to expose various issues in this neighborhood, has been for naught. We still don't get the proper help over here.

Some may feel that I am giving up on this area. All I can say is that I lived it.

All of the police attention in this area goes to the neighborhood east of 67 which includes the Chaucer Place neighborhood. Of course, that is inside the South Central Police division which is led by the magnificent Deputy Chief Sherryl Scott. The west side of 67 (Marvin D Love Freeway) is a different police division.

The only time we had any type of consistent patrols was when Pastor Rickie Rush put together an informal patrol of hundreds of men and dozens of vehicles from IBOC Church. They were the best security we ever had in this area.

While we spent $120,000 for the study of the mall, my buddy Shawn Williams gave you a lot of similar insight for the $5 cost of DMagazine. The study does go into more depth, but the basic premise is the same.

My take is a little different. I feel that putting a lot of money into the mall, and only the mall, is a mistake. When you look at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) study (warning: this is a 15MB PDF so it may take time to download), it draws comparisons to Prestonwood Mall. I can understand that; but what it shows is that the two areas are starkly different in terms of income, worker traffic, and spending power. Instead of the city putting $50+ million (as it has been suggested) into one shopping mall, I would rather it gets spread through a bunch of small centers all over southern Dallas.

With respect to Southwest Center Mall, several opportunities were missed. We know that the retail moved to Cedar Hill. It moved there because the city didn't support former Councilman James Fantroy's attempts to revitalize the mall between 2003-2006. For example, he tried to put a new Target and a movie theater in and around the vacant JC Penney space to jumpstart redevelopment but the numbers wouldn't work without city help. As a result, Inland Southwest began to develop a new center at Hampton & Wheatland which includes the Target store that opened in March of 2008.

Some have suggested that we should consider turning Southwest Center Mall into an outlet mall. However, our chance at the outlet mall opportunity has come and gone. In the past year,Grand Prairie snagged an outlet mall that will be next to I20 & 360 owned by Prime Outlets (the same owner as the one in San Marcos), and another got announced for another city farther north (Irving, I think).

You will never get the income parameters you need to bring the stores that you want until you solve the number one problem around the mall. Again, it goes back to neighborhood safety. You have to start the revitalization by tearing down of some of the apartment complexes in the area.

All of the good businesses are leaving the Mall area, most of the reason is that the business owners and potential customers are constantly robbed and assaulted by criminals in the area. As an example of the issues around here, Pizza Hut won't even deliver to apartment complexes in our neighborhood.

Some apartment operators work to maintain their properties, keep gates in working order, and make sure that they don't house criminals. Many do not.

One way these thugs get around background checks is to date a female with a decent job and get the apartment in her name. Then, the thug moves in and here comes the crime. The girl then is scared to kick him out because she has been threatened to keep quiet, and the apartment complex does nothing about it. This happens more than you think.

Some of the worst offenders in the area are below. The good tenants are held hostage in the complexes by the thugs and crime element that certain owners refuse to eradicate.

(the crime numbers for 2009 are from January 1st-June 29th)

Whispering Hollow - 6910 S Cockrell Hill Road (100 crimes in 2008, 52 in 2009). Owners are based out of California.

Redbird Trails - 3636 W Red Bird - again, the owners are based in California. There is always a line of cars outside the gates because they are always broken. Usually a lot of people walking in and out. You can see the drug traffic.

Arborstone - 6500 S Cockrell Hill Rd (58 crimes in 2008, 26 in 2009). Check out this stellar review from apartment ratings.com:

I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. First off, there is always trash and broken bottles everywhere. People sit outside and drink beer and smoke weed and nobody does anything. Maintenance doesn't fix a thing.

They will fix the easiest thing that needs to be fixed and leave the other things broke.

The security guards are a joke. They had some really bad ones before that just flirted and hung out, but now they have "invisible" ones that you never see. Oh, except from when they are sleep in their cars. The office staff are not helpful at all, the only one worth something is Deon who works on the weekends. The manager is mean and could care less about the residents. They can't answer your questions, you have to keep calling to get any help, they don't listen to you, but they are quick to put a notice on your door about the smallest fees like a $2.00 fee. I am writing a formal complaint to the owners.

People say they were improving because they evicted some of the drugs dealers here, but what about the other things. The crazy man who walks around and harasses the women in building 11 and 10 whenever he hasn't taken his pills. The random gunshots. The half man/woman hooker that does its business out of the empty apartments. You mean to tell me I know all this and the office staff doesn't. So sad. I cannot wait until my lease is up so I can move

Other complexes should also be considered. A check of the crime records or apartment reviews will show similar reports. They include:

Park Village -7575 S. Westmoreland - Dallas, TX 75237
Harbors - 7550 S. Westmoreland - Dallas, TX 75237
Cielo Ranch - 3829 Gannon Lane - Dallas, TX 75237
Broadmoor - 3900 Investor Dr - Dallas, TX 75237
Brookfield Apts - 4060 Preferred Pl -Dallas, TX 75237

Add in the motels along I-20, and it adds up to a recipe for disaster if left unchecked.

The model for this area should be based on what was done along Skillman. Yes there is a TIF called Skillman Corridor, but most of the developments received no TIF money. In fact, the only major development that received funding was the Lake Highlands Town Center ($23 million for a $350 million development). The total amount of non-TIF related development in this area: $300 million.

Retail developers will return once they see strong signs that the area is changing. Until then, we'll be writing these types of articles and blog posts for years to come.

City Council Vacations

2009-06-28T15:07:00.006-05:00

A lot of people wonder about the length of City Council vacations, so I thought I would post the vacation times from various councils across the country:

Philadelphia: three months
Phoenix: two months
Columbus, Ohio, 48 days
Dallas: one month
Houston: one week
New York, Indianapolis, Memphis: no break

Cleveland meets once per month during the summer.
Atlanta has a two-week recess every two months.
Los Angeles has a ten-day recess in summer and winter.

Paul Quinn College Loses Accreditation

2009-06-25T20:25:00.004-05:00

In the midst of one of the strangest news cycles in some time, this piece of news stuck out to me. Having seen closeup what the loss of accreditation can do to a struggling college, I hope that they can get the situation reversed. The school can file an appeal within 10 days.

If Paul Quinn doesn't win the appeal, this could be the end of Paul Quinn. Why? Because students at an unaccredited school can't get financial aid.

I have heard that there will be a news conference tomorrow at the school, so keep an eye out for such an event.

Dwaine Caraway Elected Mayor Pro Tem

2009-06-22T16:14:00.006-05:00

The 2009-2011 City Council has now been seated and sworn in, and as you can see there are a couple of changes in the Mayor's Office.

Dwaine Caraway is now the Mayor Pro Tem, and Pauline Medrano is now the Deputy Mayor Pro Tem.

A big welcome goes out to new Councilwomen Delia Jasso (District 1) and Ann Margolin (District 13).

Deion Sanders Prime Time Sports Center is Moving Forward

2009-06-19T09:19:00.005-05:00

City Council just approved the Prime Time Association football park sponsored by Deion Sanders and led at the city by Dwaine Caraway.

This is a brand new football facility coming to Oak Cliff! This is the same center that I wrote about a few months back. One block at a time, this city will be transformed.

Suggestions for Urban Market

2009-06-17T00:46:00.007-05:00

A lot has been made about the recent changes to Urbanmarket with respect to the downsizing of the store and rumors that the store may close. Keep in mind that I am referring to the downtown location, not the one in the Cedars.

For those of us that visit Urbanmarket, you know that the cafe has been closed and that reports indicate that the non-food offerings may be scaled back.

I think it's a great concept and a business that is definitely needed for downtown to thrive.

While many have speculated on what the market needs to do to be more successful, I have found multiple suggestions among my blogging friends:

More after the jump.

1. Marketing. Several people I know work downtown and said they've never seen any info about the market at their offices, and most co-workers don't know that it exists. I've also been to several high-rises downtown and none of the leasing agents mentioned Urbanmarket as an amenity. These two groups are your customer base and represent major dollars if catered to in a major way.

From a friend:

Well as good as Urban Market says its doing, they should do more to make themselves known to the apartment buildings downtown. Every time I'm in there it seems like every person walking out is going to the Power & Light Building or the Interurban building itself. I'd venture that there might be a good portion of people that live downtown in buildings north of Commerce that don't know about the Grocery or have misconceptions about it.

They should institute an online ordering system. The store is slightly cumbersome to navigate because things are crammed wherever they can get 2 ft of shelf space and not easily found unless you ask or take time to search. The online ordering would be unique and truly make it a quick seamless process of shopping.

The bottom line is a majority of people don't shop there that live downtown, and short of sitting in Pegasus square during downtown special events, the store does nothing to promote itself.

As far as advertising, I agree. I know of a person who just now found out Urban Market is in the downtown area. He has lived here for over a year.

(note: I did find that they offer a personal shopping service on their website)

2. Prices. While I don't expect prices to be at the level of Target or Wal-Mart, several people I know shop at the 7-11 or CVS for many items because the price difference is significant between those stores and Urbanmarket.

A friend chimes in:

I have to say, I am not surprised they are struggling. Their service has always been lacking. CVS seems to be doing well and so does the 7-11. Urban Market's price structure seems to have always been on the greedy side.

Lets take Horizon Milk for example - $4.69/carton? Lets compare it to Central Market (not Walmart).

CM price is $3.39 (UM is 38% higher - can you believe that?).

Even CVS which is not a grocery store, their price is $ 3.99 (UM is 17% higher) - Also downtown!

I think they are just bad at running a business. They opened in Southside and have just expanded their store to include an entire section for more beer and wine and now closing a similar section in the main store?

You can expect to pay 7% to 10% more in a store like UM, any more and people will learn to buy their groceries elsewhere - and they have.

3. New competition. Newflower Farmers Market opened in March in the old Carnival Space on Henderson, and while they are still working out the kinks they have cool things happening that keep you shopping. For example: on Wednesdays Newflower honors the new sales circular as well as the one from the previous week. I know that this is a different neighborhood but many downtown residents do have cars so this store is a viable option.

4. Selection. One blogging friend wrote the following:

I have to say their meat selection is bare boned sometimes nonexistent. The cuts of meat are either top sirloin or hefty priced Filet Mignon. To find a rib eye is rare. I shop at the market for the occasional dinners I cook.

I don't bother with any menu planning because, in the past, I found they didn't have everything I needed in stock. So...why is this? You can't blame it all on the economy...we all need to eat, after all.

So either they are not pricing appropriately or not keeping adequate inventory...or both. As far as getting rid of the wine/beer/snacks and freezer section that doesn't make any sense…period. They can't say they don't move those types of product. Now toiletries etc…maybe they can reduce some inventory.

I'd be willing to bet that someone is more likely to hop into the store to get a bottle of wine to take to a friend’s place or to go with their dinner vs stopping in to pick up some household cleaner or a bar of soap.

More thoughts:

The people there are nice, but the culture in Dallas does not fit that model, even Downtown. For some reason Downtown/Uptown residents prefer Albertsons and the Walmart Neighborhood Store.

However, the 7-11 model (while not a super market) is viable. There is a new 7-11 in my building open 24 hrs and they seem to be operating at a steady pace.... Read More

Since I've been in Dallas, "they've" been saving Urban Market - WHY? Let someone come in who can make money. Harsh words ... but look at our Auto Industry. Let the market decide.

Why are there Bodegas on every corner in Brooklyn? Why are there so many Beauty Salons in Flatbush? because the market supports it.

Perhaps for the Cafe a Starbucks Business Model may work (isn't it separate anyway?). The only thing I consistently go in that building for is the bank. I use the Dallas Federal Credit Union.

The Urban Market is convenient and is even within Walking distance from me ... Yet I overlook it.

I didn't write this piece to bash Urbanmarket. I ate there when it first opened and I have gone back from time to time. I wanted to offer suggestions from actual customers which might help the store.

I'm really rooting for this store to succeed. The resident base is growing downtown as well as the number of corporate relocations. If the store can hang on and make a few adjustments, success should be just around the corner.

More than A Grocery Store in Oak Cliff (with Video)

2009-06-10T09:55:00.019-05:00

Yesterday was a great day in Oak Cliff. The Save A Lot grocery store had its official ribbon cutting for the brand new Save-a-Lot store at the Crest Shopping Center in the 2600 Block of Lancaster (map). Note: the Google street view also shows how it looked before the renovation.

Dwaine and I, along with the Mayor, city staff, neighbors, and the shopping center developer have been working on this for nearly two years. We were first looking at putting the store across the street from its current location. Everyone settled on keeping the store in the shopping center. The neighbors' input was used in creating the store, from the items stocked on the shelves and beyond.

Save A Lot is an important part of this community. In these times, Save A Lot provides the opportunity for a family to get a healthy, balanced meal for $5. Compared to buying fast food every night for dinner because it's cheap, a void is being filled in this neighborhood. People couldn't wait to get into the store, as you can see people pushing carts by us even as the press conference progressed.

One major bonus: Save A Lot donated 5,000 pounds of food to the North Texas Food Bank! According to one of their reps that translates into 100 full carts of groceries for needy families at a time when donations are shrinking.

As I have said from the beginning, this is bigger than just a new grocery store.

In the process, the new store also provided us an opportunity to get rid of the asbestos filled theater that was on the north side of the center. The theater had been vacant for years and could not be rented due to the aforementioned issues. Now there's a new grocery store in its place.

Mickey's Catfish, owned by Vincent Hall, has just opened in the last couple of months. The mall and the neighborhood has a lot more energy now vs. before Dwaine took office.

You will also see that the entire mall is undergoing an extensive renovation and repaving, which was spearheaded by everyone working with the owners of the center as part of our Lancaster Road Initiative.

One of the comments that struck me the most were the ones made by Rick Meyer from Save A Lot:

"I'd like to take Dwaine on some road shows with me, (and) teach some folks in other communities what it's all about to be a good partner."

A comment like that makes it all worthwhile. When you see the various articles and conferences held with respect to what Southern Dallas needs to bring growth and development, this is what it's all about. You can say it and claim you're a leader all day long, but just like a World Series Championship baseball team you need a starter and a closer. We have that in our Mayor and Dwaine. This is one of the reason that I'm glad they're both in office and in leadership positions on City Council. In his remarks, the Mayor also hinted at another store to be announced for District Four pretty soon!

This store and center will always be special to me. It's where Dwaine's campaign office was located when he first took office. The neighborhood was promised that this center would be a catalyst for positive change in that part of Oak Cliff and along Lancaster Road. I can't count the number of nights we walked the center hoping that we could someday be a part of its turnaround. It's here, but there's more to come. The work is not done, but we're moving in the right direction.

Video is below:

Remarks from from Rick Meyer, Vice President of Save-A-Lot.

Remarks from Vanessa Foster from Save-A-Lot and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

Remarks from Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway.

Remarks from Cathy Misko and Vanessa Foster of Save A Lot and officials from the North Texas Food Bank.

Rawlins' Take on an Oft-Forgotten Part of Town

2009-06-09T14:21:00.005-05:00

If you haven't seen it, Piedmont resident Rawlins Gilliland has an op-ed which ran in the Dallas Morning News. It's a good take written by a long-time resident of the area, and focuses on the history and neighborhoods that make up the southeast part of Dallas.

A Lot of Things Going On in District Four

2009-06-02T09:27:00.010-05:00

Even though the council is about to change a couple of members, there is still a long going on in terms of the city.

The first of four citywide budget hearings will take place tonight at Cedar Crest Golf Course (1800 Southerland Avenue-map) from 630–8PM. These meetings are different than the usual budget hearings that occur in July and August. Due to the large potential budget deficit, the council decided to have extra meetings in advance of the normally scheduled budget town hall meetings. This will be the only meeting in Oak Cliff.

Also, on Saturday we will have a teen summit which focuses on young males. Restore Our Image, Inc. and Real Black Men, Inc. in cooperation with Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway presents the "Boys to Men... Walking With a Swagger" Teen Summit.

This is for teen males only 13-18, though all adults are welcome.

The event will feature:

*Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway
*NBA player and Dallas hoop legend CJ Miles of the Utah Jazz
*Omar Jahwar from Vision Regeneration
*and other local community leaders making a difference.

There will be a continental breakfast and lunch and job information will be provided.

Van transportation will be provided from Beckley Saner Recreation Center, (114 W. Hobson) at 8:30 a.m. and return students at 1:30 p.m.

Finally, on Tuesday June 9th we will have the official ribbon cutting for the brand new Save-a-Lot store at the Crest Shopping Center (map).

In the process, the new store also provided us an opportunity to get rid of the asbestos filled theater that was on the north side of the center. The theater had been vacant for years and could not be rented due to the aforementioned issues. You will also see that the entire mall is undergoing an extensive renovation and repaving, which was spearheaded by me and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Caraway working with the owners of the center as part of our Lancaster Road Initiative.

We hope you join us for these events.

Summer's Coming - Time to Hang Out!

2009-06-01T11:46:00.001-05:00

With Memorial day in the rear view mirror, it's time to fully embrace Dallas.

Sure it's getting hot, but in the last few weeks the wife and I have done a lot of things in and around Dallas. We've eaten at Screen Door, ALÓ, Royal Thai, and other spots. I've done some hiking at the Cedar Ridge Preserve, hung out at the Loft at Gilleys, and taken in the view of our skyline from Oak Cliff to the top of the Mercantile (see the header pic of this blog).

We have a lot to do in this town. Now that it's summer, it's time to go sit out on the lawn at Nasher and take in a movie or two as we did last year. I'm really looking forward to the completion of Main Street Gardens (though it's a little ways from being open), which replaced a hideous block of buildings in the middle of downtown. The Dallas CityArts festival is coming in two weekends.

Until I saw the news on Saturday, I completely forgot about the 7-acre park in the Arts District that will be completed in four months. And there's much more to do than I've listed. By the way, several of the things I've listed are FREE!

Life is what you make it. Dallas has a lot to see and do, don't let it pass you by!

Pools and Recreation Centers are Needed

2009-05-30T08:36:00.011-05:00

I just came across an editorial from the DMN that talks about the budget decisions that the City Council will have to make.

While it is true that the City Council is going to have to make some difficult decisions, the article is looking at the wrong items. I may have a different opinion than council on the necessity for bill pay stations, but pools and rec centers are needed.

Most affluent neighborhoods are home to many families that have their own personal pool. I would guess that a few of those same residents have basketball hoops and exercise rooms as well. There's no 24-Hour Fitness in South Dallas or Pleasant Grove, just so you know.

In southern Dallas, there are very few families with pools and other centers for recreation. Other than a scattering of YMCAs, which are usually at capacity, there's not much cheap recreation. Oak Cliff has two YMCAs; South Dallas has one Y. Southeast Dallas? No YMCAs. Where are the kids going to go?

I wonder if they read this line item in the budget workshop report put together by city staff with respect to the pools (on page 119). It reads:

The 135,000 participants who visited these facilities in the past will not be served and the opportunity to conduct the 1,650 Teach A Child To Swim lessons will be lost.

The editorial is also written in a condescending tone which I don't appreciate; I doubt the 135,000 citizens that use the pools would either. Closing of city pools has been a constant drumbeat of the DMN for some time. They wrote a similar article in July of 2008 (payment required).

When you close rec centers, you also close all of the programs for kids and seniors. For kids, this is their only safe haven from the perils of their neighborhood.

This runs counter to their "north-south project" for which the DMN is advocating. Idol time is a danger to our children; the pools and rec centers need to stay open. I know of 135,000 people that feel the same way.

Ideas for Our City

2009-05-26T07:13:00.005-05:00

One thing I have noticed is that some of the best ideas regarding controversial issues can be found in the comments sections of various blogs and forums. Part of the problems is that those ideas stay mired in comment sections along with those from trolls who cut and paste hateful thoughts to as many blogs that they can find. Most people skip past them and move to the next hot headline.

These great ideas will languish in cyberspace unless you give them a bigger forum.

There are many opportunities for public comment during City Hall proceedings. Why don't you bring those good ideas to someone that can do something about it? Put yourself and your ideas for positive change on the record. Just a thought.

Two Elected Officials that Care about Education

2009-05-19T11:08:00.006-05:00

A lot of people think that all the Mayor and others are thinking about is the Convention Center Hotel. It's easy to fall into the trap because the haters post more blog comments and call radio stations every single week. Really, it boils down to a lot of hating by a small handful of vocal people.

Meanwhile:

Here is a video clip from last Monday, in which Mayor Leppert is talking about the West Dallas Education Task Force. According to their website: The primary goal of the West Dallas Education Task Force is to "establish a multi-faceted network of public and private schools offering excellent educational options to West Dallas families." This ties into the Mayor's belief that improvement starts with education.

Also, as we speak Dwaine Caraway is in the middle of his "Teen Summit on the road" trip as he takes 200 underprivileged kids to Austin for education and experiences at our State Capitol. A similar trip occurred last year, when we traveled to Houston and Galveston with no city tax dollars involved.

I would bet that both of them have visited more than 100 schools since they took office to talk to students about their future.

While people are busy hating on the Mayor and Dwaine, all they have to do is look beyond the everyday nonsense to see the types of things they are doing on a regular basis to positively affect the lives of Dallas youth.

Tweeting for Food

2009-05-13T14:14:00.003-05:00

Nancy Nichols of D Magazine (whose food recommendations have made me look good on more than one occasion) found this article in WaPo. It's about a food truck that tweets its location as it moves through the city.

This is the kind of cool stuff that I want to make its way to Dallas. Tell me: would you sign up for tweets for lunch? I know a few restaurants that send out their specials via Twitter, so to me this is the next step.

Hot Dog Vendors = A Real Downtown

2009-05-12T09:50:00.004-05:00

I saw this article in the paper, where a local restaturant owner is trying to get rid of a hot dog vendor that's on the corner of Main and Ervay.

Vinny Navarro, the cart owner, got a permit from the city. He followed the rules.

Maybe the restaurant owner should think about it this way: someone walks by on their lunch break to get a hot dog...while waiting, they notice the restaurant and make note to check out the restaurant for dinner. Everybody wins!

According to the article, Vinny even sells hot dogs until 3am on club nights. To me, that's genius. Back home, when the clubs let out there are certain food places that get tons of business. Go by a Williams Chicken at 2am and you'll see what I'm talking about.

My wife and I were real excited when we saw the hot dog vendor on Main. To us, It's a sign that downtown is growing and foot traffic is increasing to the point where someone is trying to make a living as a vendor. You want a "real" downtown? Well, a real downtown includes vendors along with sidewalk musicians and people like that.

As long as no one is down there selling gold chains from the inside of their trench coat, I'm cool with it.

We Won

2009-05-09T23:53:00.011-05:00

As if you didn't know, the hotel vote passed tonight. Rather than gloat, I think I pretty much summed up my feelings in my post earlier in the week.

I am proud of all the people that rolled with the punches and worked so hard to make this possible. When we were outspent 6-1, and the early vote was almost even I knew we would win. In a lot of places, especially southern Dallas, you could see that Vote Yes had the money but no idea how to effectively spend and appropriate dollars in a political campaign.

I was especially proud of Jerry Allen, who won his District 10 council race by a sizable margin even though he was the victim of a hit job by one of Dallas' weekly papers which was picked up by Vote Yes. For the entire campaign said paper and Vote Yes seemed to be the same organization. I was glad to help Jerry in certain neighborhoods, and that his constituents could see through the smokescreens.

There are two runoffs in June, so it will be another month before we learn who will be on the 2009-2011 City Council.

This is why You should Vote No

2009-05-06T00:09:00.026-05:00

You know my track record. For years I have been standing up for you and making sure that your voice is being heard at City Hall.

Let me tell you about my journey to Dallas. I looked at cities all around the country, and after going to school in Atlanta I knew I wanted to be somewhere vibrant, progressive and on the move. So I moved here.

Just like you, I did not pick up my entire life to move somewhere dead and stagnant. A lot of you are in the same boat. We could live anywhere, and we chose Dallas and have stayed in Dallas. A lot of folks that are from Dallas have stayed here for the same reason. We are in this fight together!

This is a long post but I have to make sure you fully understand what’s going on here. These are important issues and crucial times.

So let’s get down to business:

This is about two propositions on the ballot that both jeopardize the future of this city. Proposition 1 is about the hotel. Proposition 2 is about limiting the city’s ability to attract and recruit companies.

WHY VOTE NO (instead of Vote Yes):

There has been a lot of confusion as what “Vote No” means and what “Vote Yes” means. It’s set up this way because the people against us are the ones that wrote these propositions. It’s meant to confuse people into voting YES because a lot of us support these projects and this city moving forward.

In this case, vote no means you are for Dallas moving forward.

Let’s look at the hotel first:

If you Vote No, the city will be allowed to help finance the building of hotels within the city of Dallas.

The other side and their $5 million are claiming that hotels are empty, and we shouldn’t do it. You do have to wonder why someone that owns a hotel would spent $5 million if they thought the hotel wouldn't be a success.

Well, 30 Dallas hotels are supporting Vote No. The hotels that are closest to the location to the Convention Center support it, including the Hyatt Regency and the Adolphus Hotel.

Why? Well if a convention brings 10,000 room nights, and the convention hotel has just 1,000 rooms guess where else they stay? The other hotels!

Here’s a question that I see often: If it’s such a great deal, why doesn’t someone build it privately? The answer is twofold: The city can get a lower interest rate than a private company. The threshold for private industry and their cost of capital is different than the city. Also, the city cares about the overall tax base as well as the economic impact and revenue generated, which is something a private developer doesn't care about. It’s that simple.

People can say it’s the wrong time to build, but Denver built theirs in 2001 right after 9/11 when it was said that people won’t fly anymore. Denver’s hotel is profitable.

The anti’s also keep comparing Dallas to St. Louis, whose hotel has gone into foreclosure. The difference between Dallas and St. Louis has already been addressed on this blog.

Remember: we lost the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Motor Speedway, and other things because we bent to people that didn’t want development. What the anti-hotel people aren’t telling you is that in the last 5 years we have lost conventions and tons of money because we don’t have an attached convention center hotel. We have lost conventions that would have brought in $1.5 billion of economic impact.

We cannot attract large conventions if we don’t have an attached convention hotel, and it’s for weather days just like we've had the last few weeks. Nobody wants to walk three blocks to a convention in the rain or in 90-degree heat with all of their books and packages. That’s why we’re losing. If you look at the list, the reason next to almost every “decline” of Dallas being chosen is lack of attached Convention Center Hotel.

If we can’t bring in tourists to generate revenue, then we have to make up the difference through higher taxes. Wouldn’t you rather have tourists help pay for what we need?

We are already in the hotel business at DFW airport with the Hyatt – and it’s successful. The DFW Hyatt was financed the same way as our proposed hotel, but not one peep from any anti-hotel people. Why is that? We’ve been waiting for the response for months.

If convention center hotels aren’t needed how can places like the Gaylord Hotel & Convention Center, in the middle of nothing but an outlet mall and a Bass Pro Shop, charge higher rates than those proposed for the Dallas Convention Center hotel? I know. A couple of months ago, we paid more than $200 a night to stay at the Gaylord for a retreat. The food was expensive. The parking was expensive. We still paid it, and I'm sure the City of Grapevine appreciated the revenue.

I found it strange that the anti’s have always said that the Mayor made it personal, when it was the Vote Yes side that immediately called the Mayor arrogant and has continued the name-calling throughout the campaign. However, notice that when it came time to debate in Southern Dallas last Sunday (the day before early voting), the event was ignored and they had to find someone to stand in at the last minute. The Mayor and the hotel supporters at City Council have been accessible to address questions and concerns.

I have to talk about the attacks on our Mayor and City Council. What kills me the most is that I see our Mayor and Deputy Mayor everywhere in the city trying to affect change! The Mayor said in his campaign and his inauguration speech that the hotel was a priority.

Consider some of the sources of most of the anti-hotel sentiment.

When you have so-called papers like the Observer chasing down the Dallas residents who are in the pro-hotel ads for quotes, I wonder if they did the same to the actors in the Vote Yes ads. We know the answer. Their whole existence for publishing seems to be to create an anti-campaign against Mayor Leppert, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, and anyone else that supports southern Dallas. The campaign has been an epic FAIL so far. After the elected officials, the Observer went after the Black churches. It never stops.

One Dallas Observer political writer lives in Frisco, and the other thinks southern Dallas is a third-world slum. Why is this important? Because if the area that you live in has development and all of the things that other neighborhoods don't have, why wouldn't you want other areas to have a chance to thrive?

Such a campaign will continue to be an Epic FAIL as Caraway has no legit election competition and most people in southern Dallas continue to see the Mayor work and be seen in southern Dallas. The newspaper that gave us Laura Miller as Mayor is in no place to dictate who should be the Mayor, Deputy Mayor or any other elected position.

AND WHAT ABOUT THE POTENTIAL $$$

$500 million of economic impact is already on the hook if the hotel gets built – these are conventions that are definite if the hotel gets built! In addition, there is another $1.9 Billion in economic impact under consideration from other conventions based on the hotel being built. WE CAN’T AFFORD TO TURN OUR BACK ON THAT OPPORTUNITY!

The city is losing more business than the hotel would cost. Again, we have lost $1.5 Billion in economic impact because of the lack of an attached convention center hotel. $2.4 billion dollars of economic impact and $800 million in direct spending is waiting for us if we VOTE NO!

They also aren’t talking about the things that will go around the hotel, such as more restaurants and shops in this part of downtown. A minor-league baseball park on Industrial that wants to be there BECAUSE of the foot traffic and spending that will come with hotel visitors.

Also remember the jobs: 3,000 jobs during construction of the hotel. 800 permanent jobs, and the thousands of jobs at surrounding places as this part of downtown gets developed! The haters hold their nose at hotel jobs, but these jobs feed families.

If Prop 1 passes, then the city could be bound from doing any type of financing deal for a hotel which includes incentives. Prop 1 is so badly worded that this may be the case.

Is there a risk? Yes. There’s risk in anything, and there’s also reward. We have paid the price time and again for sitting on our hands.

Let’s look at Proposition Two:

Proposition 2 will require Dallas to conduct a citywide vote each time it wants to offer $1 million or more in subsidies to private developers of hotels, condominiums and retail facilities-when just 500 Dallas voters petition for such a vote.

No company or developer is going to wait until next May or November while we have an election. If we cannot help to finance economic development and recruiting of companies, this city will dry up.

Proposition 2 will prevent the city from being able to recruit companies and generate jobs and business in the same way as other cities.

This is a fight against business as usual.

In both cases, we have to decide if one small group is going to decide our future and the future of this city. I don’t want that, and if you’re willing to stand with me and with us, we can succeed.

We finally have a Mayor and City Council (well…most of them, anyway) that understands that to build a great city you must build south of I-30 as well as downtown.

We won’t be able to effectively bring back South Dallas, Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, and West Dallas if we don’t VOTE NO. How are we going to pay for it if we don’t VOTE NO?

Now that early voting is over, the election is May 9th.

I want you to vote and to get your friends to vote just like you did last November because it’s just that important. VOTE NO FOR YOUR FUTURE – VOTE NO and SAVE DALLAS.

Find your Election Day polling place (link)

Demonstration of Touch Screen Voting Machine (Flash player required) (link)

Services Available to Voters with Special Needs in Texas (link)

Early Voting - Last Two Days

2009-05-04T08:50:00.004-05:00

My vote is in....is yours?

Remember, you can vote at any voting location no matter where you live in the city. Don't forget to Vote No on Prop 1 and 2, and to vote for your city councilperson.

Of course I voted no; anti-hotel ads using the Texas Tea Party with people "holding" Vote Yes signs didn't sway me . You know that those logo's were done via CGI and not from any real rally, right?

You know that the last claimed "independent study" and "guest column" was paid for by the anti-hotel group, right? Was that part of the $5 million they spent on this campaign or was that separate?

You know that Dallas is already in the hotel business with the Hyatt at DFW, right? Did you know that the Grand Hyatt DFW is turning a profit? (see question #11)

Just curious.

Early Voting: until Tuesday May 5, 2009
http://www.dalcoelections.org/may92009/EARLYVOTINGLocations.html

Election Day: Saturday May 9th.

Check your voter registration by name or address
http://www.dalcoelections.org/voters.asp

Demonstration of Touch Screen Voting Machine (Flash player required)
http://www.essvote.com/flash/demo.html

Services Available to Voters with Special Needs in Texas
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/services.shtml

State of Texas Early Voting Rules
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/earlyvote.shtml

Google Map of All Dallas Early Voting Locations
http://tinyurl.com/alldallasearlyvotingspots

Craig Watkins on The View

2009-04-29T21:05:00.004-05:00

My barber gave me the heads up that Dallas DA (and fellow customer) Craig Watkins was going to be on "The View" sometime soon. Thanks to Jennifer Emily of the DMN, I found out it was tomorrow.

We were talking about what's next for Craig. The only show left is Oprah.

There's always good info in the barbershop - some things never change.

The barbershop:

Where

happens

New TV Ad - Enough is Enough

2009-04-29T20:46:00.001-05:00

Check it out - let me know what you think.

Join Me and Save Dallas! Mega Event - Is Dallas Ready?

2009-04-27T15:45:00.006-05:00

If you haven't already heard, we are having a mega event to urge people to Vote NO and Save Dallas.

We expect 500+ people. BRING YOUR VOTER CARD OR LICENSE WITH YOU!

Vote No and Save Dallas!

When: Wednesday 4/29 – music starts at 4PM
City Hall Plaza
Akard and Young Street, at the fountain
Rally Location (Google Maps) http://tinyurl.com/saveourcitydallas

Add to your outlook calendar (link)

Many of you moved to Dallas and live here because of the opportunities available to you. You moved here because Dallas is a growing city.

Dallas has been losing everything of value to the suburbs.
*We lost the Cowboys to Arlington.
*Nokia Theatre is in Grand Prairie.
*The Texas Motor Speedway is in Fort Worth instead of on I-20 in Oak Cliff.
*Don’t you want to do things in Dallas?

More than $2.5 billion dollars of economic impact and $800 million in direct spending is waiting for us if we VOTE NO! One group is trying to prevent that from getting to Dallas.

If Dallas becomes less business-friendly, we lose. The economic future and opportunities of our generation depends on whether or not we VOTE NO!

We didn’t like the last Mayor because she shot down every project and now we have a Mayor with great ideas for a great city. We need to have his back!

** HOW IT AFFECTS YOU **
Dallas will be become a ghost town.
We won’t be able to bring back and build up South Dallas, Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, and West Dallas unless we VOTE NO!

No more places in Dallas like West Village, Mockingbird Station, and Uptown.

If Dallas can’t bring big events to downtown, finance economic development, and recruit companies, this city will dry up! The more we lose, the more jobs leave Dallas, and the less opportunity you have to succeed. That’s not why you came to Dallas!

** HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO **
The haters have more money but we have more people!

If you want Dallas to continue to grow, you need to come to our rally on Wednesday April 29th in front of City Hall.

Music starts at 4PM and the speakers start at 5:30–guest speakers include Veronica Torres - Chair for the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber Young Professionals group, Michael Davis of Dallas Progress blog, Ron King of PartyChaser.com/Trinary Media, and others.

Are you going to let one group stand in the way of YOUR future?

Come hang out with your friends and learn why we must fight for our city.

** IMPORTANT LINKS **
Early Voting: April 27, 2009 - May 5, 2009
http://www.dalcoelections.org/may92009/EARLYVOTINGLocations.html

Election Day: Saturday May 9th.

Check your voter registration by name or address
http://www.dalcoelections.org/voters.asp

Demonstration of Touch Screen Voting Machine (Flash player required)
http://www.essvote.com/flash/demo.html

Services Available to Voters with Special Needs in Texas
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/services.shtml

State of Texas Early Voting Rules
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/earlyvote.shtml

Google Map of All Dallas Early Voting Locations
http://tinyurl.com/alldallasearlyvotingspots

Early Voting Starts Today

2009-04-27T14:13:00.004-05:00

Here's all you need to find a place to vote. Election Day is Saturday May 9th, but early voting is in full effect. Don't forget to Vote No on Prop 1 and 2, and to vote for your city councilperson.

Early Voting: April 27, 2009 - May 5, 2009
http://www.dalcoelections.org/may92009/EARLYVOTINGLocations.html

Election Day: Saturday May 9th.

Check your voter registration by name or address
http://www.dalcoelections.org/voters.asp

Demonstration of Touch Screen Voting Machine (Flash player required)
http://www.essvote.com/flash/demo.html

Services Available to Voters with Special Needs in Texas
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/services.shtml

State of Texas Early Voting Rules
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/earlyvote.shtml

Google Map of All Dallas Early Voting Locations
http://tinyurl.com/alldallasearlyvotingspots

FREE Dallas Women's Heart Health Fair on Saturday!

2009-04-24T12:58:00.002-05:00

On Satruday, there will be a FREE Dallas Women's Heart Health Fair on Saturday, April 25 from 9AM - 4PM at Fair Park (Automobile Building)

The Sister to Sister Foundation will be offering free screenings – cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, BMI, etc. – with free on-the-spot counseling by a medical professional, plus cooking and fitness demos, educational seminars, exhibit booths, tons of prizes and more. Even parking is free. See attached pics for details.

Baylor is prepared to offer 1,500 FREE comprehensive screenings (that’s huge – and this lab work would typically cost $100 or more at your doctor’s office).

Heart disease is the #1 killer of all women (more than the next six cancers combined!).

Bring a loved one to this great community event!

EXCLUSIVE: Hotel Showdown Debate

2009-04-23T22:15:00.005-05:00

You heard it here first:

On Sunday April 26th, there will be a Convention Center Hotel debate at Friendship-West Baptist Church. It will feature members of the Dallas City Council and the Mayor on one side and hopefully the other side will show up.

Be there - this is last major debate in southern Dallas that is solely focused on the issue of the Convention Center Hotel.

Friendship-West Baptist Church
2020 W. Wheatland Rd.
Dallas, Texas 75232 (map)

Sunday, April 26th
2PM - 4PM

UPDATE: Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News will be the moderator.

This is Our City-Vote NO!

2009-04-23T08:25:00.003-05:00

From RIP Dallas. This is our city!