AT&T Discovery District

[mdg109]

I'm assuming this will be the brewery patio? I also like the patio facing the DPL building.

[mdg109]

Never noticed the shade structure going across Jackson Street.

[willyk]

Looks like big video board should be visible part of the way up N Akard toward Main and Elm—will be a beacon that will pull people toward the new plaza.

And maybe all of the new pedestrian activity will enable the Adolfus to do something with the old cowboy bar on Commerce.

[ArtVandelay]

Looks like big video board should be visible part of the way up N Akard toward Main and Elm—will be a beacon that will pull people toward the new plaza.

And maybe all of the new pedestrian activity will enable the Adolfus to do something with the old cowboy bar on Commerce.

I was told by the F&B guys at the Adolphus that the cowboy bar is being renovated/redeveloped.

[dukemeredith]

Last time I walked by (a few weeks ago), Rodeo Bar still appeared untouched.... It certainly has been a while since it closed.

[DPatel304]

Any updates on the completion of this development? I'm not sure where I got this information from, but I was under the impression that this would be completed sometime in the Fall of this year. I may have made that up, though.

[cowboyeagle05]

Well, they have updated the renderings on the ATT Discovery website. These are more detailed and removed the big Dallas Cowboys imagery to something more artistic on the big screen.
https://about.att.com/sites/discovery_district

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[DPatel304]

For anyone interested in a view of the construction in the AT&T Discovery District. I'm told the first phases will open late this year!

Credit goes to Derek Stapleton‎ in the Downtown Residents Council (Dallas) Facebook group.

[cowboyeagle05]

I took these on Friday while late for an appointment but there are some details here that are lacking in the renderings.

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[bachmanlad]

I'm assuming this will be the brewery patio? I also like the patio facing the DPL building.

That space is eventually going to be one of the entrances for the Commerce Street D2 station (plans), so they're not doing anything with it for now.

[cowboyeagle05]

I do not think DART has any actual signatures on that property for that theoretical possibility so I doubt it will sit blank and wait for DART to kick D2 plans into the purchasing phase. Property owners are going to want to make money on that land and if AT&T's plans make that land valuable since AT&T has now paved that land over it's going to get used and DART will have to figure their stuff out later.

[THRILLHO]

August 18th, 2019 vs November 2nd, 2019

[DPatel304]

Thanks for the update! Do we know when this one might be complete? It looks like it's really coming together, so I would think the actually plaza would be done sometime early next year. Might be a bit longer before the retail is actually completed and filled in.

[texasstar]

[Tnexster]

That giant screen is taking forever.

[DPatel304]

I visited this development yesterday and saw they put up a Christmas tree. I wonder if they are hoping to finish most of this before Christmas time so people can actually enjoy the tree? Otherwise it seems a bit odd to put this up.

[THRILLHO]

Wow! Yeah, I can't imagine the fences coming down any later than a week from now if they went through the effort of putting a tree up. I'm guessing nothing is ready to be opened, but it should be pleasant to stroll through.

[Alpaca_Obsessor]

December 1st:

[Roman_Patrick]

It honestly looks like they will open the immediate area to the public to enjoy the Christmas tree.
i could be wrong, but drove by today and the photos on the fences have been removed and they were diligently cleaning the grounds and plants..

Sure hope they open soon!

[cowboyeagle05]

Yeah, the food hall and huge outdoor screen plus the additional retail spaces will take some more time so I imagine they will have a Grand Opening later and let a large section of the plaza be accessible for a number of reasons.

Have the streets that are being reconfigured on the backside done as well?

[DPatel304]

This was posted on the ‎Downtown Residents Council Facebook page. This is super exciting to see!

[soco]

I pass this site several times a day walking to/from work and portions of the plaza, as well as Jackson Street, look dangerously close to opening. Jackson from Akard to Field appears finished (at least finished enough to open) with the hardscape and softscape in place. Crews also removed some of the construction fencing and plywood laid down on Jackson to protect the new pavers during construction. There is still a great deal of work happening on Akard and Wood, so it may be awhile before that block is complete.

[lakewoodhobo]

Took this earlier today from right along the barricade, and it looks like everything north of Jackson will open any day now.

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[dukemeredith]

Wow. Even incomplete, it looks amazing.

If the tree were taller, this would perhaps be Dallas's version of Rockefeller Center!

[cowboyeagle05]

I am assuming the signature interactive sculpture will come next year as well. The Toyota Holiday Parade is this weekend do we think they wanted to be open for that?

[Roman_Patrick]

That would makes sense to me! Thats awesome, will be such a cool place to hangout

[DPatel304]

I am assuming the signature interactive sculpture will come next year as well. The Toyota Holiday Parade is this weekend do we think they wanted to be open for that?

I had not considered that, but that's a great plan. It'll get a ton of exposure to people who normally don't come Downtown.

[THRILLHO]

Every time I see this place I almost can't get over how much of an eyesore that skybridge is. It's slanted, doesn't match the aesthetic of its buildings, and is laughably high off the ground.
Fortunately the view facing the Adolphus will be much better.

[dukemeredith]

Also, will Spirit of Communication remain in the lobby? I was hopeful they would bring him outside (where he belongs).

[exelone31]

Also, will Spirit of Communication remain in the lobby? I was hopeful they would bring him outside (where he belongs).

Then we'd really be talking about this place like a Rockefeller Plaza South! Maybe throw an outdoor ice rink there too!

[mdg109]

Yeah, I wonder if this will end up becoming the center of downtown, kind of like a Sundance Square.

[cowboyeagle05]

While we are at it we can call the Vatican and tell them to shut down St Peters Square there is no need we now have AT&T Discovery District. Someone get Venice on the line who needs St. Marks Square; a giant screen, a modest food hall and some new trees will rival them all...

[exelone31]

While we are at it we can call the Vatican and tell them to shut down St Peters Square there is no need we now have AT&T Discovery District. Someone get Venice on the line who needs St. Marks Square; a giant screen, a modest food hall and some new trees will rival them all...

Yeah I guess my joke was that someone compared it to Rockefeller Plaza earlier in the thread (unless I'm mis-remembering), which also has a large golden statue as a featured element. It also has an outdoor ice rink.

Purely sarcasm. We can all go back to accepting our place as the ten-thousandth most interesting place to visit on the planet.

[cowboyeagle05]

Here is hope the Spirit of Communications does make a grand entrance.

[soco]

The plaza is open, as is Jackson between Field and Browder. It doesn't appear cars are being allowed on the short section of Jackson between the plaza and Field though.

[LBK2013]

The plaza is open, as is Jackson between Field and Browder. It doesn't appear cars are being allowed on the short section of Jackson between the plaza and Field though.

I believe that section will be permanently closed.

[soco]

The plaza is open, as is Jackson between Field and Browder. It doesn't appear cars are being allowed on the short section of Jackson between the plaza and Field though.

I believe that section will be permanently closed.

No, this is the section that provides vehicle access to parking garages. The construction fencing is gone, but there are temporary barricades at the Jackson/Field intersection.

[THRILLHO]

Does anyone know what this is?

[cowboyeagle05]

Kiosk for food and beverage. Seeing how small it is I imagine it will be supported by a catering kitchen/larger restaurant somewhere either onsite or a company that brings in deliveries in the mornings and closes down earlier than later.

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[Cord1936]

AT&T Discovery District [Rendering: Courtesy AT&T]

How AT&T and Verizon Developments Are Reshaping North Texas
AT&T's Discovery District in downtown Dallas and Verizon's Hidden Ridge development in Irving are adding a tech touch to how we live and work in North Texas.

by Jim Fuquay, Dallas Innovates, Dec. 12, 2019

When AT&T moved its headquarters to downtown Dallas from San Antonio in 2008, everybody knew it meant thousands of new workers in the central business district. But it would have been hard to foresee the company’s plans for its offices a decade later.

Last year, AT&T announced a $100-million, four-block development called the Discovery District. It was a welcome outcome after the telecom giant announced some 18 months previously that it was exploring a move to the suburbs. The project basically creates a public gathering place with restaurants, art exhibits, music performances, and sports-watching parties.

“We’re planning to transform the entire area around our downtown complex. AT&T Discovery District will be a first-of-its-kind ‘urban tech campus’ in downtown Dallas—a showcase for new technology and innovation,” the company said in a prepared statement. Befitting the nation’s largest wireless service provider, it will also feature public Wi-Fi access and the latest 5G wireless service.

The company has about 5,500 downtown workers. Discovery District is expected to open later this year.
...
Article: https://dallasinnovates.com/how-att-verizon-developments-are-reshaping-north-texas/

[DPatel304]

The company has about 5,500 downtown workers. Discovery District is expected to open later this year.

Thanks for sharing, I can't wait to check this area out!

[muncien]

I like how they adopted the term 'Urban Tech Campus'. I know it's just a play on words, but I hope they live up to it, and I hope it sticks. It would be great to have such a thing tied to the Dallas CBD.

[dd_dweller]

Anybody else notice that the tall trees that were originally planted up at the front entrance have been removed and replaced with much smaller trees?

[DPatel304]

I never got to see this in person, but, based on some of the pictures in this thread, it looked like they took down some of the barricades right before the holiday parade?

I walked by it today expecting them to still be down, but they were back up and construction was still under way. I was a little disappointed, as I was hoping to at least be able to partially walk around the area. It's shaping up really nicely though, and I imagine it won't be long before it's open.

[muncien]

So, there's an article in the DMN about the demise of Big D NYE, and how it has no intention of ever returning. It was such a bummer when we lost that moment in the national spotlight when the Central time zone hit midnight on 12/31. It was also great to have a central gathering place in the city...
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/curious-texas/2019/12/30/what-happened-to-big-d-nye-curious-texas-investigates/

This all made me think of how well positioned AT&T is to make the Discovery District the heart of Dallas and a central gathering point for such festivities. How cool would it be if they sponsored their own massive NYE event annually, and leveraged their national media leverage to get it broadcast. Now, that would be awesome!

[DPatel304]

I do definitely miss Big D NYE, and I thought it was a spectacular event for our city.

While I haven't seen these in person yet, I think the Reunion Tower Fireworks are a perfectly fine replacement. Like you said, we are lacking that 'central gathering space', but it looks like this year they are attempting to host something in front of City Hall:
https://www.facebook.com/events/514440582641995/

The Discovery District would be great as well, but City Hall seems big enough and they have a good vantage point to the fireworks at the Reunion Tower. It's not even terribly far from the Discovery District, so it's possible they could have stuff going on in both areas.

[muncien]

I do definitely miss Big D NYE, and I thought it was a spectacular event for our city.

While I haven't seen these in person yet, I think the Reunion Tower Fireworks are a perfectly fine replacement. Like you said, we are lacking that 'central gathering space', but it looks like this year they are attempting to host something in front of City Hall:
https://www.facebook.com/events/514440582641995/

The Discovery District would be great as well, but City Hall seems big enough and they have a good vantage point to the fireworks at the Reunion Tower. It's not even terribly far from the Discovery District, so it's possible they could have stuff going on in both areas.

Perhaps its just me, but 'partying at city hall' just sounds like a total buzz kill. lol. I'd love for all of downtown/cbd to activate for NYE... kinda like they used to do for 'city lights' to start the holiday season (they don't do that anymore, huh?).
Closing down Akard and Main to vehicular traffic, with scheduled events at MSG, Belo, and the Discovery District anchoring the ends, and various vendors/restaurants/bars in between would make for quite the event.

[DPatel304]

Lol, fair enough about the name. I'm sure they could find a way to brand it and come up with a better sounding name, but I do think location is great considering there is a lot of open space and it provides a great vantage point to the Reunion Tower Fireworks.

I do like the idea for most of the CBD to activate during NYE, and I'm sure it could be possible. You do have to start somewhere though, so hopefully this City Hall event is a success and it attracts more and more people every year. By next year, I'm sure Discovery District could also get in on the action and provide stuff to do as well.

[lakewoodhobo]

Cowboys Fit now open inside the Interurban Building

[Tivo_Kenevil]

Any idea on the pricing?