Dallas/Dallas Metro Development News

[Dallas star]

Dallas Forty Five Ten Construction from today.

[irving1903]

Originally Posted by Joshua Dodd

Is there any news about the renovations being done on the Houston Viaduct? Or any news about the Perot signature tower?

I hadn't heard anything recently about the Houston viaduct but I've been wondering with the street car and the new I-30/I-35 construction going on a refurbishment of the bridge couldn't be too far away.

[dollaztx]

North Dallas project that stalled during recession is about to kick off with new construction

A sprawling North Dallas redevelopment project that has been stalled for more than five years is about to see a flurry of construction.

The pending projects will be the first development in the 83-acre Midtown Park, which was started almost 10 years ago on Meadow Road just east of North Central Expressway.

Two development sites in the project have just sold to builders and several more transactions are about to close.

“We have basically sold everything,” said Leon Backes, head of Provident Realty, which is development partner with Missouri-based Kroenke Holdings, which owns the land. “This time next year there will be a huge amount of construction going on over there.

“It will transform that whole area.”

[Joshua Dodd]

Any word about current progress for LBJ?

[Dallas star]

Two downtown Dallas skyscrapers that have been stuck in the 1980s are being brought into the new century with dramatic redos.

Remodeling will begin in the coming weeks on the 34-story KPMG Centre at 717 N. Harwood St. and the 50-story Thanksgiving Tower at 1601 Elm St.

The multimillion-dollar makeovers of the two aging office towers will be among the most ambitious renovation projects to date in downtown.

Both buildings are being revamped to accommodate thousands of workers moving into Dallas’ central business district.

“Our vision is really to bring some new life into this building both by way of renovation and new tenants,” said Sheena Paul, vice president of World Class Capital Group, which owns KPMG Centre. “The building is definitely stuck in the ’80s.”

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/c...st-century.ece

[dch526]

Originally Posted by Joshua Dodd

Any word about current progress for LBJ?

http://www.lbjexpress.com/scheduletimeline.asp

Everything looks to still be on schedule for a final completion of Dec. 2015

Construction Segments
Segment 1 - On track for a Mid-2015 opening
I-35E (Loop 12/Walton Walker to Valwood Pkwy)
I-635 (Luna Road to Josey Lane)

Segment 2 - On track for a December 2015 opening
I-635 (Josey Lane to Welch Road)

Segment 3 - On track for a December 2015 opening
I-635 (Welch Road to Preston Road)
I-635 (Preston Road to Greenville Avenue - Opening December 2013)

[dch526]

A 2nd SkyHouse Coming to Victory Park?

Novare Group has filed a site plan for its SkyHouse Victory project with the City of Dallas for a half block site just east of the sports arena at Houston and Payne streets.

The property is now occupied by a surface parking lot next door to the AudiPark Garage.

[dch526]

Historic downtown Dallas tower will become Hampton Inn hotel

rving-based hotel firm NewcrestImage LLC recently bought the 21-story 1700 Commerce building at Commerce and Ervay streets.

The company has filed plans with the Dallas Landmark Commission to convert the 92-year-old high-rise into a Hampton Inn hotel.

The owners are seeking approvals from the Landmark Commission to make exterior changes in the property. Proceedings are underway to designate the building as a Dallas historic landmark.

[dch526]

Hotel ZaZa to add second North Texas hotel at Wade Park

The hotel will feature about 175 luxury guest rooms including 10 signature, one-of-a-kind suites. It will have 10,000 square feet of meeting and function space, a pool with bars and cabanas, a restaurant, a 1,000-square-foot fitness center and ZaSpa.
The hotel will positioned along the main street of Wade Park's retail village, which will comprise 600,000 square-feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Hotel ZaZa is the first of three hospitality venues slated to open in Wade Park, which is also planning a 350-room executive conference hotel along the Tollway, and an upscale limited service hotel.

[Joshua Dodd]

For an update about the Texas HSR corridor between Houston and Dallas, the developers have come down to three possible routes but are waiting for an environmental study to be complete. As for funding, here is the news:

According to the TCR CEO, Richard Lawless, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation participated in “an exhaustive study” of the Dallas-Houston line and is willing to back the project. It’s expected to provide up to half the debt financing for the Texas line, with “extremely attractive” interest rates, he said. The loan could be $3.5 billion or higher, depending on the final costs and debt-to-equity structure. (This is as of November 2014) The bank also has the authority to throw in an equity investment in high-speed rail, a provision that was adopted in 2012, he said.

[Dallas star]

Originally Posted by Joshua Dodd

For an update about the Texas HSR corridor between Houston and Dallas, the developers have come down to three possible routes but are waiting for an environmental study to be complete. As for funding, here is the news:

According to the TCR CEO, Richard Lawless, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation participated in “an exhaustive study” of the Dallas-Houston line and is willing to back the project. It’s expected to provide up to half the debt financing for the Texas line, with “extremely attractive” interest rates, he said. The loan could be $3.5 billion or higher, depending on the final costs and debt-to-equity structure. (This is as of November 2014) The bank also has the authority to throw in an equity investment in high-speed rail, a provision that was adopted in 2012, he said.

Fantastic news, can you hook us up with a link?

[Joshua Dodd]

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/c...s-on-japan.ece

[Dallas star]

Originally Posted by Joshua Dodd

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/c...s-on-japan.ece

Ah, the financing of this deal does seem to give me the impression Japan trying to buy some US debt. This project would do great combining the two Texas mega-cities.

It will interesting to see how the airport lobbyists will try to sink the project. I am excited to see an alternative transit method appear in the US, I am convinced if this project is done right, that Americans will adopt rail as a new form of medium distance transit.

[phoenixboi08]

Originally Posted by Dallas star

It will interesting to see how the airport lobbyists will try to sink the project. I am excited to see an alternative transit method appear in the US, I am convinced if this project is done right, that Americans will adopt rail as a new form of medium distance transit.

Mostly likely, they won't.

Much of the animosity was Southwest's inability to serve many other markets (with the Dallas-Houston route being their major bread winner). I think whatever legislation that restricted them from servicing other routes has/will lapse.

Not to mention they'd probably like to free up any space they can to serve long-distance and Int'l routes.

What I wonder is whether there is enough differences in service for Houston to pull would-be-PAX from Dallas and/or vice versa. Doesn't seem likely (save some destinations that are served non-stop by one and not the other), but it's a thought.

[Nagih12]

Update on the Old Parkland project. Apparently, there is a new structure being built in between the campus west expansion and the back of the expanded portion of the original building. I believe it will be restaurant space and a debate hall, but I'm not really sure. It also looks like they are building a really nice fountain connecting with the arcade, also adjoining with the new west campus. What I do know, is that the architects behind this project are all about constructing quality, classical real estate. They are the real deal. Just take a look at some of their previous works: http://www.dgparchitects.com/

Old Parkland renderings here: http://www.dgparchitects.com/portfol.../old-parkland/


The new domed structure:







Debate Chamber?



Possible restaurant:



Additional pictures of the project:









It's a bummer that the public can't see this and enjoy this campus. But then again, they have some priceless items over there.

[tripleD]

what an amazing campus

[rantanamo]

they are not playing around with that campus. Incredible how they keep squeezing more goodness into that campus. Looks really incredible from the outside.

[desertpunk]

Speaking of which...


Parkland Campus Dome under construction by johncampos971, on Flickr


Trammell Crow Headquarters by ladyk11111, on Flickr

[desertpunk]

Gables McKinney - 12/07


Not quite ready yet... by JkenLive, on Flickr

[dollaztx]

Construction begins on Bleu Ciel condo tower in Dallas’ Uptown neighborhood

Developer Harwood International is starting construction this afternoon on the first Uptown condo tower to be built since the recession.
Related

Uptown Dallas apartment tower sale could top $100 million
New 'affordable' boutique hotel planned for Uptown
New Uptown Dream Hotel in the works would have 128 rooms
Del Frisco's steakhouse trading its longtime Far North Dallas home for a new project in Uptown

The 33-story Bleu Ciel residential high-rise will be built on North Harwood Street near the entrance to the Dallas North Tollway.

The luxury residential high-rise was designed by Harwood and architect Wilmotte & Associes S.A. of Paris.