Gilbert Aranza

To Her To-Do List, Add This: Judge Says Kathy Nealy Owes AAC Parent 'Round $200,000

​Speaking of the company that operates the American Airlines Center ...While going through some federal courthouse docs this morning, which is how everyone should spend the day before the day before Christmas, I discovered that lawsuit concerning the former Chili's at the AAC lives on, with a tria ... More >>

This Week in Council Memos: The State o' N. Central, Fire Trucks, Flow Control and More!

​Probably should have broken this week's stack into about 12 different items, seeing as how one of the docs is 178 pages (many redundant) just on flow control, which involves forcing all solid-waste collectors in the city to dump everything at the city's McCommas Bluff Landfill or other city trans ... More >>

Gilbert Aranza's Not the Only One Unhappy With Love Field Concessions Bid Process

One of the Love Field Modernization conceptual renderings​Yesterday on the City Hall Blog, Rudy Bush noted that Love Field concessionaire Gilbert Aranza has sued the city in an effort to halt its efforts to find new food-and-beverage and retail concessionaires. As we noted last month, the city rec ... More >>

How Much Does That Love Field Chili's Make a Month and Other Concessions-Bidding Q&As

From the Love Field Modernization Program website​No doubt you recall the hubbub surrounding the Love Field concessions-bidding process that consumed much of last year as Mayor Tom and the council argued over no-bid contracts for incumbents Gilbert Aranza, Helen Giddings and Eddie Bernice Johnson. ... More >>

D/FW Airport Board Votes to Terminate Gilbert Aranza's Leases, But He Assures Employees That He's Just "Doing What Is Right"

Brandon ThibodeauxNo matter what, it seems like Gilbert Aranza will be staying at D/FW as he's told employees that he has enough money squirreled away to pay up.​After a lengthy closed-door meeting, the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport board voted 7-1 early this afternoon to terminate four leases rel ... More >>

Concessionaire Gilbert Aranza Sues D/FW Airport Board and Files Restraining Order to Stop Them From Kicking Him Out

Brandon ThibodeauxGilbert Aranza​Longtime food-and-beverage concessionaire Gilbert Aranza filed a temporary restraining order and lawsuit against the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport board late this afternoon, stemming from a disagreement regarding approximately $279,000 the board claims he owes in b ... More >>

Gilbert Aranza to Stay at Love Through 2014, Gets First Shot at 27 Percent of New Space

Brandon ThibodeauxGilbert Aranza​Longtime Dallas Love Field Airport food and beverage concessionaire Gilbert Aranza has accepted the city's offer to extend his lease through the remainder of the new terminal's construction, according to a statement just released by Aranza. As requested by the ... More >>

On Love Field -- Or Anything Else -- Carolyn Davis Ain't Got That Swing.

The Mayor Sends a Note About Why Dallas Should Love New Love Field Concessions Plan

​Late last night, after a long day sluggin' it out with the council (Carolyn Davis especially) over those Love Field concessions contracts, Mayor Tom Leppert sent out a conciliatory congratulations e-blast with the subject header "Love Field decision will benefit Dallas." The decision, for those w ... More >>

Live Blogging Judgment Day (Maybe) For Love Field Concessions Contracts at City Hall

​It's another Wednesday morning here at City Hall, and love is in the air -- special proclamation time, and the house is packed with folks in matching T-shirts (I've got 10 bucks for the first one that can get the mayor to put one on over his suit), PowerPoints at the ready. Not so fast though, k ... More >>

Angela "Swing Vote" Hunt Gives Us a Hint of What to Expect at Tomorrow's Love Field Airport Concessions Shindig

Angela Hunt's flickrWill this be the scene after tomorrow's council briefing?​Tomorrow, finally, the city council will be briefed once again on the concession contracts at Dallas Love Field Airport that has the council is split along racial lines. Mayor Tom Leppert failed to mention the racial ... More >>

Consultant Says Part of New Love Field Concessions Proposal "Just Doesn't Make Sense" and Extending Contracts is "Fairly Common"

Airport consultant Pat Gleason​As Mayor Tom Leppert told DMN'er Rudy Bush last night, there will be at least four options for the city council to evaluate at Wednesday's briefing about the Dallas Love Field Airport concession contracts, two of which contain the mayor's input. We asked Leppert's ch ... More >>

SMU Professor Hired By Aranza Pens 24-Page Report Defending City Staff's Love Field Food and Beverage Contract Recommendations

Brandon ThibodeauxWhile the city council took a month off, concessionaire Gilbert Aranza hired one of the mayor's former consultants, who convinced him to pay an SMU associate professor to take a look-see at the controversial Love Field food and beverage contract.​After the city council on Jun ... More >>

Belo Corp. Board Member, Convention Center Hotel Folks and Jerry Jones Top List of Mayor Tom Leppert's Fund-Raising Pals

Patrick MichelsThat hotel victory is the gift that keeps on giving.​While his political future remains unclear, Mayor Tom Leppert raised a combined $243,000 in donations in the first half of this year, according to campaign finance reports filed yesterday. Meanwhile, his officeholder account a ... More >>

Our Brilliant Idea for a Love Field Compromise.

Willis Johnson's Latest Piece of the Action

Sam MertenWe're trying to imagine how the conversation between Willis Johnson (right) and Ryan Evans (left) went as Johnson, one of the mayor's close advisers, lobbied Evans on behalf of his wife's company. ​Thanks to Mayor Tom Leppert's push for a lobbyist registration ordinance, we're now pr ... More >>

Just How Minority Does a Minority Have to Be Around Here?

At City Hall, Democracy Had Nothing To Do With Deferring Love Field Concessions Vote

​An extremely important thing happened at the city council meeting this morning. Nothing happened. I can't tell you how big that is. Angela Hunt won. Mayor Tom Leppert told a packed house that the city council had agreed informally not to vote on the contentious Love Field concessions issue, direc ... More >>

Talkin' Love Field Concessions With the Mayor

​Ken Carter, a consultant working for Dallas Love Field Airport food and beverage concessionaire Gilbert Aranza, sent us word yesterday afternoon that the city council's seven minority members are expected to appear at noon today inside City Hall's lobby along with other community leaders for ... More >>

Minority Council Members Blast Mayor For Not Supporting Love Field Contract Extensions

Photos by Sam Merten"Enough is truly enough," said Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway at today's press conference before explaining why he and Mayor Tom Leppert are on opposite sides.​The Dallas City Council's seven minority council members launched a counterattack this afternoon against Mayor Tom L ... More >>

Dallas Black Chamber Says Contract Extensions Amount to "18-Year Monopoly" for Concessions at Love Field; E-Mails Support Mayor Leppert

The DBCC seemed a bit confused in its arguments in support of opening up the concession contracts at Love Field for bids, which might be one of the reasons why they marked their letter to the mayor "confidential." ​(ITEM UPDATED) The day before Mayor Tom Leppert and the city council deferre ... More >>

The Battle Over Airport Contracts Opens a Rift Between the Mayor and Minority City Council Members.

When It Comes to Doing Deals in Dallas, Leppert Must Remember That History Never Forgets

Patrick Michels​For most people, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert's campaign to open up the bidding process for concessions at the city airport must seem open and shut. He wants the bidding to be open. But the door is shut because the concessions are in the hands of politically connected people. For insid ... More >>

Mayor Leppert Just Stopped Checking His E-Mail to Chime In on the Love Field Concessions

Sam MertenMayor Leppert, five minutes into the presentation.​Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Pauline Medrano began this afternoon's Love Field Concession Committee meeting by letting folks know why the committee was formed -- to clear up "perception issues reported by the newspaper" -- and what the groun ... More >>

Everything You Wanted to Know About Love Field Concession Bids and Terminal Updates But Were Afraid to Ask

Click to embiggen the current proposal for Love Field's new food and beverage layout upon completion of the Love Field Modernization Program​Late last night, Dallas City Hall finally posted the briefing docs for tomorrow afternoon's debut performance of the Love Field Concession Committee, formed ... More >>

City Council, Its Feelings Hurt, Defers Vote on No-Bid Contracts at Love Field

Gilbert Aranza addressing the Dallas City Council moments ago.​The council just wrapped up its discussion of those concession contracts at Love Field -- but there will be no vote on them today. The council -- which is taking awfully personally the suggestion that it's not being very transparent -- ... More >>

The Latest Stack o' Council Memos: No-Bid Contracts, Policing the Protesters and More Retiring City Employees

Brian HarkinIn May, Vonciel Hill voted to keep concessions at Love Field in the hands of one company, whose CEO contributed to her campaign. ​Every so often I like to post the pack of memos Frank Librio sends to council and media at the end of every week; below are the ones that went out late Frid ... More >>

What Really Led to the Sudden Shuttering of the Chili's at the American Airlines Center?

​Have yet to make it to Dallas County District Court to read the lawsuits pitting Gilbert Aranza, the franchisee operating as Base Holdings who opened and rather suddenly shuttered the Chili's in the American Airlines Center, against Center Operating Company, which runs the arena. But I did spend ... More >>

Transportation Committee Minorities Favor Concession Monopoly at Love Field; Booting Ordinance Briefing Delayed

Brian HarkinVonciel Hill wants concessions at Love Field to remain in the hands of one company, whose CEO is a director for the Citizens Council and contributed to her campaign. The city council's Transportation and Environment Committee yesterday afternoon met for 90 minutes in executive session a ... More >>

Is this any way to run an airport?

Black bookseller Robert Crews once ran a thriving store at D/FW. Now he's in court fighting to save his business, thanks to airport policies that boost local minorities and squeeze airport concessionaires