"Empty Victory," by Matt Pulle, January 29
"F" for Victory
I've said it before and will say it again, Victory Park has no chance of succeeding. At one point I had the over/under at 18 months. I speak from a traffic planning and real estate background.
The main problem is the lack of safe, convenient parking for the luxury stores and the restaurants. In Highland Park, you see the Rolls, Bentleys, Ferraris and Mercedes parked right in front of the stores they are going to. All the great restaurants have valet parking. This isn't true at Victory Park.
The other problem is that you don't want to compete with ACC traffic and parking. I live 22 miles from Henderson Street; I can leave 30 minutes before I am scheduled to meet people on Henderson and not be late. I pull up; they park my car. I'm ready to leave, and they deliver my car; 30 minutes later I'm sitting in my easy chair. This can't be said for Victory Park. I might have to leave an hour or hour and a half before I'm due, to be safe. I might sit in traffic for a half-hour. And if I get there after the start of a game, there is nowhere to park. If I leave as the game ends, I sit in traffic.
The other problem is that people who live in proximity to an ACC move because they get tired of the traffic. I sold a condo complex across from another city's ACC. The biggest complaint was sitting in traffic. I had people with Perot money who spent hundreds of thousands in remodeling and decorating that left shortly after moving in because of the hassle. People who can afford Victory Park's prices don't sit in traffic.
The high-priced stores can't make it. Those who shop there don't want to get stuck in traffic or walk any distance; it's too easy to shop and be seen in Highland Park. There is no status being seen in Victory Park. No one goes to a basketball game or a hockey game with the intention of shopping. They don't want to waste time or carry packages.
The same can be said for Glorypark in Arlington. If I want to meet someone for dinner, there are enough places to go where I don't have to worry if there is a game, a concert, a revival or an unadvertised event.
There is the old saying, first memorialized in Field of Dreams: "If we build it, they will come." The problem is that they built it and no one came.
Jr. went after a market that has too many choices. They aren't going to be inconvenienced to satisfy Jr. And, unfortunately, those hurt most by the downturn in the economy are those Jr. needed for Victory Park. Think about the law firm that is moving there. Are the majority of the employees able to spend $50 for lunch, or do they want to spend $10?
Marvin Chosky, Bedford
"The Young and the Restless," by Sam Merten, February 5
Dog Days
I was going to comment about the story, but what is the use? The Rangers? Oh, you mean the "Strangers." How can a team with that much money and talent never win? Even the Astros have been to the World Series! Yes, I will be at a Rangers game this spring/summer, but it will not be to cheer for the Rangers. It will be to take advantage of the $1 hot dogs and hang out with friends. I guess I could do that at the bowling alley too. Might be more fun to watch the local bowling league.
BillyH from Fort Worth, via dallasobserver.com
"Strong-Arming Dallas," by Jim Schutze, February 5
Labor's Pain
So I guess whatever the city does is OK, including lying about the Trinity project, lying about DART problems, etc. Oh, and let's not forget Leppert ignoring the people demanding a vote on the convention center hotel. Yes, all this is hunky-dory, but if labor starts to put pressure on management, city or private, whoa, who let the commies in the door? How did these labor/mafia bozos get in here, into pristine, wholesome Dallas? Get real. Management has never been so concerned with playing straight when it comes to opposing union organizing, hence all the labor-organizing laws on the books. They are not aimed at the labor unions; rather, they are aimed at restraining the business interests from terrorizing their employees so that they will be too afraid to exercise their right to organize.
Don from Dallas, via dallasobserver.com