Four years ago I still recall thinking: is there any empty ground available in Dallas? Since then, I have seen 30-40 houses built on a half block empty lot. Same thing, where a couple of warehouses once stood. Two empty lots and a for sale sign next to one of the lots. About a year later, a 8,000 sq foot home stood on the two lots and the third one with a house on it was bulldozed down giving enough area to build the 8K square foot home. This sight has gone on for the past four years since I really started paying attention to the need for new homes and we have not even begun to go back in the archives and check on the massive residential apartments pattern, although I can say that when I came back to Dallas, apartments were three stories. Then they stood four stories. Then five. This past weekend, I came across not one, but several projects where six stories are now a pretty common sight on the current horizon.
I recall my mom telling me about the new DFW airport. Then she told me about the expansion of a couple of terminals. I flew into DFW to visit mom and my brothers. Downtown was building the tower with the 7 story hole in the center. The Bank of America building was just then going up. I viewed that from the 50th floor of my sister-in-laws office that provided the view next door. Then, the developments began of the land that was DFW owned surrounding the runways and operational field. Larger than Manhattan, This piece of property with 7- active runways. with the plans for number 8 are there already. When you see the layout of the runways, one can see clearly where number 8 could, should, would go in the future. The airport property on the North end of the airport is filled and construction has been going on for sometime now with large warehouses on the South end. The growth it generated has now shifted toward the south properties of the airport. Some 40 years later continues today and is spreading throughout the Metroplex. Of course, the hay fields between the airport property and the George Bush Turnpike are covered in black roofs of new homes now.
Now, with the TEXrail line complete and active from Ft. Worth to terminal B at the big airport. The Silver Line, DART's love, currently under construction from the northern corridor across the old Cotton Belt rail lines, will arrive to Terminal B as Dallas' cousin to the TEXrail it will park along side. Dallas' Dart light rail system has been active for a few years, already next door and a short foot walk from Terminal B to Terminal A. But, that was the genesis of were this story really began and actively continues to this day. Dallas really started growing after DFW's ground breaking, the active charcoal that turns raw meat into BBQ so to speak. Developers have been hot on the rail path ever since. Where the rail lines are, the developments follow in short order. It's happening at Dart's Lake Highland Station. It's happening at Dart's City Line Station. Along the Silver Line construction path. The end of the line at I-20 were the UNT (University of North Texas, Denton) built it's southern campus, the area is seeing growth and construction not seen in years. In fact, nearly twenty years ago while doing some research for a Fortune 50 company near downtown Dallas, I had ask one developer where would they be silently grabbing up property 20 years from then. His answer was, twenty miles north of McKinney. Jokingly, said to the developer,"not much land left to the Red River". His rely to that was a wake up call. He then said, "I'm not worries about the Red River. Engineers design and build bridges to solve that problem of keeping my customers' feet dry". South Dallas has paid a price in some ways, but the tides are turning in that direction, finally. The growth isn't as fast as it has been to the North. It seems more still believe in Santa Clause than we thought.
Today, downtown Dallas has it's 5th green space park that just opened. Deep Ellum has it's first high rise in the past couple of years with several more high rises following it's completion. Now, Texas Department of Transportation just held one of a few more public meetings to discuss their desire to tear down the I-45 stretch that connects US Highway 75 (Central Expressway) and I-35E via the Woodall Rodgers expressway that reconnected downtown with Uptown District with the highly successful Klyde Warren Park built over the top of Woodall Rodgers. If the I-45 flyways are eliminated are placed sub-terrain, it will re-unite Deep Ellum with downtown. I just hope there are enough nails to fill those pneumatic nail guns where ever the next project pops up and the supply chain is strong enough to support another 40 year growth that now includes suburban growth as it connects to the mother ship, Dallas/Ft/ Worth Airport.
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