Courtesy Re:Vision Dallas, Six Visions of a "Self-Sustaining" Downtown Dallas Block

It was quite the confab at Dallas City Hall on December 8, when Mayor Tom Leppert welcomed to a fourth-floor conference room about three dozen urban planners, architects and city officials who'd come downtown on a chilly morning to discuss turning a parking lot behind City Hall into a "self-sustaining...

By Robert Wilonsky

May 28, 2009

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It was quite the confab at Dallas City Hall on December 8, when Mayor Tom Leppert welcomed to a fourth-floor conference room about three dozen urban planners, architects and city officials who'd come downtown on a chilly morning to discuss turning a parking lot behind City Hall into a "self-sustaining community." It was part of Urban Re:Vision's grand plan for the city -- one that, as we've explained before, involves transforming a barren patch of concrete into 500 residential units; 75,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, including "shop(s) for daily grocery needs"; and a "multi-purpose care area and provider." For starters, as you'll see.

At the end of January, Urban Re:Vision -- in conjunction with Central Dallas Community Development Corporation and bcWorkshop -- turned the concept into a juried competition. Just a few days ago, they quietly posted the three finalists and three honorable mentions, with submissions coming from as nearby as Houston and as far away as Portugal. Personally, I think "Co-Op Canyon" is kinda ... I dunno, kick-ass?

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