AT&T Discovery District

[Tivo_Kenevil]

Purple looks amazing at night. We Need more royalty in our skyline

[LBK2013]

I figured that red, yellow and green are out for public safety reasons, which leaves blue.

Well BofA is green so I don't see why it would be out...

[cowboyeagle05]

Well since AT&T's colors are blue and white.

[dallaz]

I don’t mind blue, but there’s alittle too much of it. We need some redish colors or a white light (similar to the former lighting of the Drever and the Sheraton Hotel).

Last night on NBC 5 News, they mentioned the new light display for the Whitacre Tower. The live towercam of the skyline showed the building completely illuminated (with the floodlights on). The lights are a lot brighter than I realized. You won’t be able to miss it, that’s for sure!

EDIT: the floodlights illuminate entire portions of the travertine facade of the building in white light.

[mdg109]

That's all nice, I guess, but when are they supposed to start construction on the actual Discovery District?

[dallaz]

From Fox 4’s Facebook

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 2530812092

[Tnexster]

Wow, that looks bright!

[dallaz]

Wow, that looks bright!

Yeah, it’s definitely the brightest building in the Dallas skyline.

On social media, some downtown residents were complaining about the intensity of the lights.

[tamtagon]

They should have a bat-signal projection... hovering the ATT logo above the skyline when the low clouds provide the opportunity!

[muncien]

They should have a bat-signal projection... hovering the ATT logo above the skyline when the low clouds provide the opportunity!

LOL... Didn't Republic Tower have a ridiculously bright light on it way back in the day, that had to be shut off because it was a detriment to Love Field air traffic? I swear I remember hearing that before... but it may have been made up.

[LBK2013]

They should have a bat-signal projection... hovering the ATT logo above the skyline when the low clouds provide the opportunity!

LOL... Didn't Republic Tower have a ridiculously bright light on it way back in the day, that had to be shut off because it was a detriment to Love Field air traffic? I swear I remember hearing that before... but it may have been made up.

The light is actually still up there. It's a big spotlight. I think it was actually turned off after Thanksgiving Tower was built because it no longer served its purpose and the light just illuminated another tower. In fact I think it was erected to help Love Field pilots. Once it was surrounded by other towers it didn't matter anymore.

[Matt777]

Looks AWESOME. Dramatic but beautifully done.

[Cbdallas]

I like the energy this brings to that side of downtown.

[eburress]

I like the energy this brings to that side of downtown.

So do I! I didn't realize how dark that portion of the skyline was before now.

[Pinhi]

Holy sh*t that looks good!!! It looks modern and sleek and elegant but even a throwback to the old 1930s skyscrapers in New York. At least at night. Well done!

[Austin55]

Lighting looks fantastic. I was most excited for the outlining, but the floodlights are what really pull it together. Excellent stuff.

Here's some dets on the plaza. Listed construction start time is Feb 1st. Price tag is $50 mil.

Renovation of existing outdoor plaza, sidewalks and improvements in public right of way. Plaza scope includes sculptural element, water features, outdoor kiosks, and performance stage.

[lakewoodhobo]

The bus shelter is moving a block west to Manor House effective 3/17.

Screen Shot 2018-03-09 at 5.04.46 PM.jpg

Somewhat unrelated, but I wonder if AT&T has plans for that office space/storefront used by DDI Safety Patrol. With the bus shelter out of the way, it would be a much more usable space for a retailer or restaurant.

[cowboyeagle05]

Well we know they would rather not have that bus stop on their property so I have to wonder if they have finally been able to convince DART to move it permanently down the street. I am sure AT&T would write a check to keep that stops types from hanging around their campus.

[hjkll]

Well we know they would rather not have that bus stop on their property so I have to wonder if they have finally been able to convince DART to move it permanently down the street. I am sure AT&T would write a check to keep that stops types from hanging around their campus.

What "types" exactly?

[cowboyeagle05]

Well we know they would rather not have that bus stop on their property so I have to wonder if they have finally been able to convince DART to move it permanently down the street. I am sure AT&T would write a check to keep that stops types from hanging around their campus.

What "types" exactly?

First, let's start with I ride the bus to and from work and prefer it in every case. From what people on the exec level tend to see though is the poorer class at bus stations and AT&T already had the bus stop moved once so that it wasn't front and center on their plaza. I wouldn't put it past them that they see it negatively as a detractor from their vision of a clean and pretty urban campus. The kind of thing companies like to claim they support mass transit in a press release but do what Hilwood did with the Victory DART train station. They talked DART into moving it from a planned location in the middle of Victory Park to the edge of Victory Park so it wouldn't be too close for comfort.

[skeets]

The bus shelter is moving a block west to Manor House effective 3/17.

Screen Shot 2018-03-09 at 5.04.46 PM.jpg

Somewhat unrelated, but I wonder if AT&T has plans for that office space/storefront used by DDI Safety Patrol. With the bus shelter out of the way, it would be a much more usable space for a retailer or restaurant.

That sure doesn't leave them much room in front of Manor House! But I remember the old stop before they moved it and that sucker was huge.

Regarding the "types", at that stop there were always aggressive panhandlers and others much like those at the West End DART stop.

But I haven't been downtown since I retired in 2012 so things could have changed.

[dallaz]

Which one of Dallas downtown's landmark skyscrapers is up for grabs?

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... aper-grabs

One of downtown Dallas' most recognizable skyscrapers is up for sale.

It's hard to miss the 37-story Whitacre Tower with its huge blue AT&T emblems and new nightly light shows.

The Akard Street high-rise since 2008 has been owned by a unit of New York investor Carl Icahn's property firm.

The almost 1 million square foot tower is the largest building in AT&T's 4-building downtown headquarters campus.

Icahn Enterprises has hired commercial property firm CBRE to market the office high-rise to potential buyers. The office building has been listed on CBRE's international property sales website.

AT&T's global headquarters lease in the property runs through 2030. The sale is expected to bring in at least $250 million.

The telecom giant recently announced plans to spend more than $100 million to upgrade the 4-block area it occupies on the south side of downtown. The company owns the other three large buildings on the property.

Icahn bought the Dallas tower 10 years ago along with other AT&T properties in Atlanta and other markets.

"AT&T owns all of the buildings in our downtown Dallas campus, except Whitacre Tower, which is owned by Icahn Enterprises," an AT&T spokesman said. "If building ownership changes, it won't impact our lease agreement."

Built in 1982, the Whitacre Tower in downtown Dallas was originally occupied by regional offices for Southwestern Bell.

In 2008 AT&T moved its headquarters from San Antonio to the downtown Dallas campus where it now has more than 6,000 workers.

After looking at several options -- including a move to the suburbs -- AT&T in 2016 decided to keep its global base downtown and make significant improvements to the campus.

Construction is now underway along Commerce and Akard streets to enhance public and pedestrian areas and add amenities for workers in the complex.

[Tnexster]

AT&T's $100 million Discovery District will be a new draw for downtown Dallas

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... own-dallas

[Tnexster]

Would be fun if at least one of those surface lots near AT&T would be converted into a high rise or maybe a mixed use residential tower....eat up a block or two. That could be a nice addition to the district and support their plans.

[lakewoodhobo]

Glad to see the plans evolve into something more tangible: the two-story food hall was a no-brainer.

Would be fun if at least one of those surface lots near AT&T would be converted into a high rise or maybe a mixed use residential tower....eat up a block or two. That could be a nice addition to the district and support their plans.

I still think the surface lot facing the old Federal Reserve would be a unique opportunity for boutique hotel or residential given the views of that historic building and now proximity to the discovery district.

[DPatel304]

Maybe I'm being too optimistic here, but I actually think, when completed, this will actually have as many people as you see in the renderings (I know, most times, that's almost never the case).

This also seems a lot like they are trying to accomplish what the plaza at Victory Park failed to do.

[cowboyeagle05]

^At least during lunchtime. Let's hope the Food Hall hours are reasonable. I don't expect them to keep it open until 11 pm for bar hopping crowd but I hope the food hall holds out till 8 or 9 pm. Also, expect to see articles comparing this to Legacy since AT&T basically doesn't want to lose employees to Legacy West companies more than they already do.

[The_Overdog]

I'm not going there! Those people are all just food for Mega Swift!

[tamtagon]

I'm not going there! Those people are all just food for Mega Swift!

That is scary!

We're one Smart District away from having this side of downtown sprout another branch... in less than a generation, Downtown Dallas grew the Uptown office market with more office space than Downtown Fort Worth. It's about to happen again, filling up the SE corner of downtown, and it's likely to happen faster than Uptown.

My favorite what-if for ATT Discovery District requires the acquisition of Time-Warner and puts The Cedars, South Dallas and Fair Park on HBOs list of production sites.

[trueicon]

My favorite what-if for ATT Discovery District requires the acquisition of Time-Warner and puts The Cedars, South Dallas and Fair Park on HBOs list of production sites.

I love that idea! Or, relocating CNN / Cartoon Network / Adult Swim from Atlanta to Downtown Dallas in the years ahead (I know they promised to keep them in Atlanta... for now). I don't watch a lot of CNN but a Commerce street level studio would really energize the Discovery District concept similar to the street level studios on Times Square NYC.

[mdg109]

Agree with Dpatel. This looks better than the original renderings that had the weird video screen facing Commerce. This could be the focal point downtown has been missing, similar to Sundance Square but on a smaller scale. Right now, downtown doesn't really have a plaza or park with activated retail/restaurants on all sides.

[lakewoodhobo]

Here's a link to a video showing animation of the new entrance on Commerce.

https://twitter.com/KenKalthoffNBC5/sta ... 4911252482

Also, if you look at the new floor plans it looks like the AT&T store is closing and moving into the larger footprint on Jackson St with the giant Taylor Swift.

Anyone else suspect that they hired the Office of James Burnett (designer of Klyde Warren Park) to design the plaza?

[maconahey]

I've always wished that they'd install a large fountain in the plaza with the Spirit of Communication on top similar to this one

[CTroyMathis]

Anyone else suspect that they hired the Office of James Burnett (designer of Klyde Warren Park) to design the plaza?

I was definitely thinking the same regarding the landscape arch. - it does seem to have familiar OJB cues.

[dallaz]

Here's a link to a video showing animation of the new entrance on Commerce.

https://twitter.com/KenKalthoffNBC5/sta ... 4911252482

Also, if you look at the new floor plans it looks like the AT&T store is closing and moving into the larger footprint on Jackson St with the giant Taylor Swift.

Anyone else suspect that they hired the Office of James Burnett (designer of Klyde Warren Park) to design the plaza?

Here’s the full animation video on YouTube

https://youtu.be/Xta2hMVrV8s

[DPatel304]

^^Thanks for sharing! Honestly this looks incredible!! I really wasn't expecting too much initially, but this is quickly becoming one of my most anticipated developments.

[willyk]

Can the City close one more block of Akard and create a pedestrian connection from AT&T to City Hall Plaza? That would make for a nice, large, contiguous open space.

My pitch to the City would be that City employees could walk to AT&T for lunch.

[jrd1964]

More of Ch.5's report about the project:

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/ATT-R ... 60851.html

[lakewoodhobo]

I'm really looking forward to that art centerpiece in the middle of the plaza. It looks like a giant hand pulled up the pavement to reveal a big video screen. If done right, this could be our version of the Bean, unlike the giant eyeball which is not accessible to the public and coincidentally came from Chicago.

IMG_6694.jpg

[mdg109]

Awesome stuff. I'm so happy they're turning that space behind the old bus stop into retail.

[DPatel304]

It looks like a giant hand pulled up the pavement to reveal a big video screen. If done right, this could be our version of the Bean, unlike the giant eyeball which is not accessible to the public and coincidentally came from Chicago.

That's exactly the same thought that came to mind when I saw it. It's a very cool looking feature, and I feel like it would draw quite a lot of attention.

[DPatel304]

new restaurant is joining the downtown Dallas landscape from the owners of high-profile restaurants such as Oak and Pakpao.

Called Hawthorn, it will open in the lobby of the AT&T Whitacre Tower, as part of a large development by AT&T in the Central Business District.

Details are still slim on what Hawthorn be, other than the fact that it is "a steak, seafood, and raw bar concept," a spokesperson says.

http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/resta ... -hawthorn/

I don't know if this was posted already, but we have some details on one of the restaurants that will be a part of this development.

[willyk]

Get some decent retail in the Neiman’s garage and the Jos Banks space, and then Commerce will be alive from the Statler to Belo Garden. 7 hotels, 2 parks and 5 uniterrupted blocks of stuff to do.

[lakewoodhobo]

I wonder if this would increase the chances of downtown getting an Apple Store. They could do a glass box in the Ravenna building footprint or simply take over the DP&L/Banks space.

[jsoto3]

Anyone else suspect that they hired the Office of James Burnett (designer of Klyde Warren Park) to design the plaza?

I was definitely thinking the same regarding the landscape arch. - it does seem to have familiar OJB cues.

I don't know whether OJB is involved, but local landscape architecture firm Studio Outside is.
https://twitter.com/studio_outside/stat ... 6104567808
http://www.studiooutside.us/home

[CTroyMathis]

Anyone else suspect that they hired the Office of James Burnett (designer of Klyde Warren Park) to design the plaza?

I was definitely thinking the same regarding the landscape arch. - it does seem to have familiar OJB cues.

I don't know whether OJB is involved, but local landscape architecture firm Studio Outside is.
https://twitter.com/studio_outside/stat ... 6104567808
http://www.studiooutside.us/home

Thanks, JS!

[rasec33]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xta2hMVrV8s

[tamtagon]

Michael Irving on the video screen!

[Tivo_Kenevil]

Michael Irving on the video screen!

That's Dez.

[tamtagon]

hahaha

I just saw the 88 and remembered the good times, back before the turn of the century when the Cowboys were good. I cannot believe it's been so long since the Cowboys got deep into the play offs.

One part of this streetscaping reminded me of what was once proposed for much of Main Street. Hopefully this is another big step toward some significant construction on this side of town. Through an expansion larger than downtown Fort Worth, Dallas' Uptown already tallies more office space, residential population and retail/destination activity; the east side of downtown could easily play host to similar growth. The corporate presence of galactic ATT really should turn into a cornerstone for this side of town - more like the Cowboys with Emmitt, Troy and Michael instead of the ridiculous teasers we've had for the more than 20 years since then.