First thing this morning, the "final draft" of the Downtown Dallas 360 plan appeared in the Unfair Park inbox, replacing the version sent out a few days back in advance of Wednesday's council meeting, at which point the city will officially adopt a resolution that "directs the City Manager to consider and consult the
recommendations of this plan, in conjunction with other adopted plans, for all future
actions affecting the Downtown Dallas 360 study area." The agenda item also notes that the plan includes "67 prioritized actions to focus efforts over the next ten
years," many of which are anywhere from 12 months to a decade down the road to reality and most of which cost a great deal of money, sources for which are not often identified.
Ah, but what about those "quick wins" Downtown Dallas President and CEO John Crawford recently mentioned? There are 16 of those, ranging from "short-term
alternatives to streetcar
implementation" to making it easy for street vendors to peddle their wares to the creation of a "Parking Management Collaborative." On the other side you'll find the whole list of suggestions, along with the such details as how long consultants MIG expect them to take to implement, who's going to be in charge of leading the effort ... and how much each one's expected to cost and who's expected to foot the bill, if that info's available. And much of the time, it's not. Jump, but don't forget to feed the meter.
Explore short-term alternatives to streetcar implementation including DART rail fare-free zone, flat cab rates within Downtown, and/or shuttle services between major destinations (e.g. Convention Center Hotel and the West End).
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: N/A
Lead Responsibility/ Support: Partnership of City of Dallas, DDI, DART
Funding Resources: Public-private partnerships, NCTCOG grants, RTR funds
Modify street vending ordinance consistent with DDI recommendations to support increased vending opportunities including kiosks, carts and temporary vendors
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: Administrative action by staff
Lead Responsibility/Support: City of Dallas/DDI
Funding Resource: N/A
Use cross-section prototypes detailed in Chapter IV for guidelines on street improvements to correspond to new street classifications (until new standards are adopted - [see item above])
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: Administrative action by staff
Lead Responsibility/Support: City of Dallas
Funding Resource: N/A
Revise sidewalk dining regulations to permit recommendations outlined in Chapter IV
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: Administrative action by staff
Lead Responsibility/Support: City of Dallas/DDI
Funding Resource: N/A
Establish peer review committee made up of City of Dallas staff/CityDesign Studio, DDI, and respected local architects and developers to review all public projects and private projects receiving public incentives, as well as to perform voluntary design critique of all Downtown development projects
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: Administrative action by staff
Lead Responsibility/Support: DDI/City of Dallas/CityDesign Studio
Funding Resource: N/A
Require design review based on the urban design guidelines in Chapter IV for properties that:
a. Are within 300 feet of an existing or planned fixed-rail transit station;
b. Face an existing or proposed park, plaza or other open space;
c. Are located along a Streetcar Boulevard, regardless of station location;
d. Are in Zone C as outlined in the Main Street Retail Activation Strategy; and/or
e. Receive public funds.
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: Administrative action by staff
Lead Responsibility/Support: DDI/City of Dallas/CityDesign Studio
Funding Resource: N/A
Build on existing policies to create an Affordable Housing Development Strategy for Downtown
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: N/A
Lead Responsibility/Support: DDI Housing Task Force/City of Dallas
Funding Resource: N/A
Create a new Parking Management Collaborative. Focus on parking by recruiting and hiring a program director. The new parking management organization must be "vertically integrated" (i.e., that one entity is managing and coordinating onstreet parking, parking enforcement, off-street parking and parking planning at a minimum)
Timeline: 0 - 12 months
Order of Magnitude Cost: $250,000 (including salaries)
Lead Responsibility/Support: DDI/City of Dallas
Funding Resources: DDI, TIF budgets
Enhance parking planning. Develop new parking planning tools (e.g. new parking demand model). Develop/adopt new parking facility design review processes and parking facility design guidelines. Tie these design guidelines to the overall Downtown design guidelines and review process
Timeframe: 0-6 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: $5,000-$25,000
Lead Responsibility/Support: City of Dallas/DDI
Funding Resources: N/A
Enhance program branding and communications. Create a new parking program brand development incorporated with new public parking signage and wayfinding program. These action items are closely linked to the "Parking Management Collaborative" organizational concept that is detailed within the parking strategic plan
Timeframe: 0-6 months
Order-of- Magnitude Cost: $5,000-$25,000
Lead Responsibility/Support: DDI
Funding Resources: N/A
For Farmers Market: Create a development plan, conduct feasibility analysis, issue an RFP and require design review for catalytic site bounded by Canton, Cesar Chavez, Marilla and Harwood (as illustrated in Chapter V)
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: $100,000
Lead Responsibility/Support: DDI/City of Dallas
Funding Resources: TIF
In Lamar Corridor: Complete Project Paseo which will result in improved sidewalks, landscaping and burying electrical systems along Lamar between IH-30 and Wood Street and streetscaping for the new Omni Hotel
Timeframe: 1-2 years
Order-of-magnitude cost: $2.7 million
Lead Responsibility/Support: NCTCOG, City of Dallas/Matthews Southwest
Funding Resources: Funded
In Main Street District Retail Activation Area: Adopt design standards as specified in the Main Street District Retail Activation Strategy
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: Administrative action by staff
Lead Responsibility/Support: City of Dallas/DDI
Funding Resources: N/A
In Main Street District Retail Activation Area: Establish new district brand and identity and wayfinding micro-system
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: $75,000
Lead Responsibility/Support: DDI
Funding Resources: DDI
For the Arts District: Require design review by Peer Review Committee for all development in the focus area, including the Spire development site and Crozier Tech site to ensure TOD principles and urban design goals are met near the Pearl DART station
Timeframe: 0-12 months
Order-of-magnitude cost: Administrative action by staff
Lead Responsibility/Support: City of Dallas
Funding Resources: N/A
Around Union Station: Swap publicly- and privatelyowned land to consolidate ownership and catalyze development
Timeframe: 1-2 years
Order-of-magnitude cost: N/A
Lead Responsibility/Support: City of Dallas
Funding Resources: N/A
