Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum

Tivo_Kenevil wrote:Any idea on the pricing?

Looks like $42/mo, which is a lot more affordable than Trophy Fitness. I can't think of any other options now with 24-Hour gone and YMCA on its way out.

https://signup.myiclubonline.com/iclub/ ... a4f9216865

Oh wow I didn’t know about this!! Cool I think I’ll try it out.

lakewoodhobo wrote:

Tivo_Kenevil wrote:Any idea on the pricing?

Looks like $42/mo, which is a lot more affordable than Trophy Fitness. I can't think of any other options now with 24-Hour gone and YMCA on its way out.

https://signup.myiclubonline.com/iclub/ ... a4f9216865

Is YMCA on it's way out? They told me they would be relocating withing a small radius of their existing location.

Discovery District in downtown Dallas on tap for restaurant beer garden
Downtown Dallas is on tap to get a new restaurant and beer garden, just in time for spring.

Called Jaxon Texas Kitchen & Beer Garden, it's a new concept featuring modern Texas fare and 34 beers on tap, and will open in the developing "Discovery District" at 311 S. Akard St. in March, according to a release.

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

Great news! I've been waiting to hear more concrete information about the Discovery District. With the gym now open and the beer garden opening in a couple months, I'd imagine things will be looking pretty good by summer time.

So is this beer garden in addition to the Pegasus City Brewery taproom also opening in this area? I actually thought the brewery/beer garden were just one in the same.

Parts of the screen are starting to light up.

Thanks for the pictures, this is really shaping up nicely!

A certain high school intern's desk, circa 1978 -- when it was the real AT&T.

(No, I didn't get the window. But I could see it from my cubicle).

I can't imagine how bright this will be although I supposed they can control that. Even so this will be quite a show for those driving down Akard.

That sky bridge is such an eyesore

The sky bridge is just so. dang. ugly.

What is an eyesore is how they scraped those buildings of their previous architecture back in the day to the point where they are ghosts of their art deco past.

Anyone know why it was placed so high up in the air?

Ask SBC or the name of the company that occupied the buildings before them. I suppose some sort of departmental reason that they didn't want staff having to go down across the street and take an elevator back up.

...or the name of the company that occupied the buildings before them.

You mean AT&T?

The bottom half of the building on the left is the Central Office (CO) for downtown Dallas. Except for the ground floor it's all electronics, no people. The skybridge is so the humans in the upper half can get between buildings quickly. If you can save a couple hundred highly paid people a day from wasting five minutes each way taking elevators and crossing the street then it quickly adds up.

Hannibal Lecter wrote:

...or the name of the company that occupied the buildings before them.

You mean AT&T?

The bottom half of the building on the left is the Central Office (CO) for downtown Dallas. Except for the ground floor it's all electronics, no people. The skybridge is so the humans in the upper half can get between buildings quickly. If you can save a couple hundred highly paid people a day from wasting five minutes each way taking elevators and crossing the street then it quickly adds up.

Exactly I assumed the reason was something like what you explained. I knew one of those buildings was mostly switches just wish it could be moved into another building but this is decent option with AT&T opening up the ground floor of the buildings at least they are less lifeless.

DPatel304 wrote:

Discovery District in downtown Dallas on tap for restaurant beer garden
Downtown Dallas is on tap to get a new restaurant and beer garden, just in time for spring.

Called Jaxon Texas Kitchen & Beer Garden, it's a new concept featuring modern Texas fare and 34 beers on tap, and will open in the developing "Discovery District" at 311 S. Akard St. in March, according to a release.

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

Great news! I've been waiting to hear more concrete information about the Discovery District. With the gym now open and the beer garden opening in a couple months, I'd imagine things will be looking pretty good by summer time.

Here is the Dallas Observer article about this upcoming restaurant.

https://www.dallasobserver.com/restaura ... n-11846837

I'm a little confused as to where this exactly is going. Is this filling the big retail space that was originally supposed to possibly be some sort of food hall?

It sounds massive and great, and I'm loving that they are open until 2am.

DPatel304 wrote:I'm a little confused as to where this exactly is going. Is this filling the big retail space that was originally supposed to possibly be some sort of food hall?

It sounds massive and great, and I'm loving that they are open until 2am.

The address is Jaxon, 311 S. Akard St.

It was buried down at the end of the observer article.

Ah, right, I should have paid more attention to that. So would it be where the red arrow is pointing, then? I believe the food hall was supposed to be on the northern side of the development along Commerce, right? Those plans are dated though, so who knows what they have planned now, but glad we are finally getting some more details about this place.

MC_ScattCat wrote:Anyone know why it was placed so high up in the air?

I remember reading a story in the DMN archives from when Southwestern Bell was seeking permits for the sky bridge. I'll post it if I find it, but in the meantime here is a nice flashback to 1983.

If I recall correctly there is a really ornate ballroom/conference room on the floor that the skybridge is on.

DPatel304 wrote:

Ah, right, I should have paid more attention to that. So would it be where the red arrow is pointing, then? I believe the food hall was supposed to be on the northern side of the development along Commerce, right? Those plans are dated though, so who knows what they have planned now, but glad we are finally getting some more details about this place.

Yup that would be it. Not sure about the food hall to be honest. But that seems like a likely spot for it if they intend to keep it.

I am concerned about all these new restaurants that they are opening in this development. Don’t the current downtown restaurants that are brave enough to stay open in the evening already struggle with getting people in the door? Downtown is still very quiet during the evenings and weekends. Especially Sunday, it is a virtual ghost town.

Jbarn wrote:I am concerned about all these new restaurants that they are opening in this development. Don’t the current downtown restaurants that are brave enough to stay open in the evening already struggle with getting people in the door? Downtown is still very quiet during the evenings and weekends. Especially Sunday, it is a virtual ghost town.

It's probably a good thing. More foot traffic downtown would be better for everyone. A concept know as clustering

https://www.fsrmagazine.com/restaurant- ... clustering

Jbarn wrote:I am concerned about all these new restaurants that they are opening in this development. Don’t the current downtown restaurants that are brave enough to stay open in the evening already struggle with getting people in the door? Downtown is still very quiet during the evenings and weekends. Especially Sunday, it is a virtual ghost town.

That seems to be the case. Commissary attempted it for a while, but then ended up reducing their hours because of this very reason.

I'm glad they are attempting to stay open late. I'm not sure if it will work out for them, but, eventually one of these late-night establishments will succeed and then Downtown can start to attract more of a night time crowd. Given how big this development is, I'm optimistic that they will do well, even in the evenings.

DPatel304 wrote:

Jbarn wrote:I am concerned about all these new restaurants that they are opening in this development. Don’t the current downtown restaurants that are brave enough to stay open in the evening already struggle with getting people in the door? Downtown is still very quiet during the evenings and weekends. Especially Sunday, it is a virtual ghost town.

That seems to be the case. Commissary attempted it for a while, but then ended up reducing their hours because of this very reason.

I'm glad they are attempting to stay open late. I'm not sure if it will work out for them, but, eventually one of these late-night establishments will succeed and then Downtown can start to attract more of a night time crowd. Given how big this development is, I'm optimistic that they will do well, even in the evenings.

Hopefully the idea is that the Discovery District will also have activities scheduled around the screen/etc. Showing big sporting events, or movies for adults/kids in the plaza. I think having an immediate "non-food" activity in the vicinity will help generate more sustained foot traffic.

Since we still don't know where they're putting Golden Boy, I'd love it if AT&T bought the parking lot where the Thomas Building stood, turn the Akard side into a plaza and have the statue facing the Federal Reserve, which of course should become a museum of telecommunication history.

I've been wanting something special for the Federal reserve building for a while now but it's a data center currently and it would cost a pretty penny to buy out for a major remodel. I still have hopes for an AT&T Theater venue of some sort. Either TV studio space or performance space. AT&T now owns so much media its not as crazy but would be kinda a vanity project. Dallas just doesn't seem to dominate in the media production market as much money as the city has attempted to put into the market. Lord knows many people would love to hear broadcasting from the Federal Theater in Downtown Dallas in the AT&T Discovery District its... It would be something that would carry the activity from the Discovery District towards City Hall and the Convention Center.

I think what also has to be considered is Downtown while a neighborhood is still an island for the after-hours crowd. People don't get off work in Downtown and hang around and once people drive even to areas like Oak Lawn or Henderson, M streets, etc they don't go "Let's go Downtown for dinner" Downtown is still on the almost dead-end of development for the city. Sure the Cedars have some stuff going on and Deep Ellum is churning out destination places like clockwork but Downtown is where development, activity, and energy dies off in most people's mind. The Farmers Market is sleepy, the Cedars is still a quiet insider secret which many prefer. Main Street District has some dedicated resident customers. After that everything is mostly to the northside of Downtown Kylde Warren and North. Housing, resident oriented retail, grocery stores, shopping, etc.

cowboyeagle05 wrote:I think what also has to be considered is Downtown while a neighborhood is still an island for the after-hours crowd. People don't get off work in Downtown and hang around and once people drive even to areas like Oak Lawn or Henderson, M streets, etc they don't go "Let's go Downtown for dinner" Downtown is still on the almost dead-end of development for the city. Sure the Cedars have some stuff going on and Deep Ellum is churning out destination places like clockwork but Downtown is where development, activity, and energy dies off in most people's mind. The Farmers Market is sleepy, the Cedars is still a quiet insider secret which many prefer. Main Street District has some dedicated resident customers. After that everything is mostly to the northside of Downtown Kylde Warren and North. Housing, resident oriented retail, grocery stores, shopping, etc.

This is one of those things that is true, until it isn't. More and more stuff is opening Downtown, more people are visiting, more people are living and working there, so it's only a matter of time before there is enough stuff to do where it becomes a destination.

Your'e absolutely right about what you're saying though, but I am optimistic that perhaps the Discovery District might buck the trend and help kick things off for Downtown.

The empty space/dog toilet next to DP&L is newly paved and ready for whatever patio that Pegasus Brewery builds there. On one hand, it's a huge improvement over the mess that was there before. However there used to be trees here not that long ago, and I wonder why they were taken down in the first place.

Kinda fits the whole paved paradise to put up a parking lot. As long as the patio does go in it will be fine. I hope its as decent as the Iron Cactus patio. Probably won't be three stories like that one but as long as they don't just throw a small door and small gated in a patio like you would find on a Chilli's in the burbs it will be better off. The patio needs to have some impact visually so it helps grab people to try the beers inside. I would hate for them to have some super tiny patio surrounded by a tree-less paved desert and no roof over the patio.

Credit goes to blucivic1 on reddit.

This is really starting to come together now!

I saw a sign in the window for Hawthorn Steakhouse which will be in the lobby of AT&T sitting right on Commerce. Their website says that they are getting close to opening and currently hiring for all positions.

That is exciting to see!

Wow, that screen is so huge!

Also, the sort of hidden peek at the interactive art piece sculpture whatever you call it on the plaza is in that pic!

That screen IS huge, can see it while driving all the way down Akard from about Ross.

It'd be so cool if they dedicated a small sliver of that screen for a stock ticker like in times square. Shawn Todd proposed something similar for the Pacific Plaza project if I remember correctly.

First time seeing actual pictures on the screen. Taken from Pacific/Akard.

I wonder if they're trying to get it read for this on Saturday.

Mgreen15 wrote:First time seeing actual pictures on the screen. Taken from Pacific/Akard.

Saw that when I was leaving work, could see the pictures all the way back towards Ross Tower.

Closer look at their art wall rotation.

The clarity is amazing

It kinda seems like a waste that it doesn't wrap around more.

Wow, incredible. This will be a really cool space when they're done with it. It's got to be a shoe-in for NYE hangout spot too.

Times Square wasn't built in a day. It's taken years for that kind of crazy activity and sensory overload to be built up. Let's see how this works and if AT&T sees a reason to make upgrades I am sure they will.

This looks amazing, I'm incredibly excited for this one to open up to the public!

Ok I am impressed with the image quality. This will be exciting as it all comes together.