Nearing the Jan. 17 election on the new arena, we have a chance to consider what this site and the whole arena issue means for East Dallas and other inner-city areas.
The designated site is the old TU Electric power plant off of Stemmons just north of Downtown – you know, the one you would pass on the freeway and wonder “What is that thing with the smokestacks?”
The site is far from perfect – there are some serious access, infrastructure and environmental issues to be addressed, although it’s not my job to make a case for the opponents. With enough time and patience, and maybe some money from Uncle Sam, these problems should be capable of solution.
Lack of a nearby DART light rail station is a drawback, but look for the Carrollton-to-Downtown line to put a station there when it’s built. More relevant for our part of town, while the deal is not a thing of perfection or even beauty, it does have the advantage of bolstering the momentum of Downtown’s comeback.Yes, I know, the site isn’t really “in Downtown,” but the main perception is that it’s in an area which is rapidly becoming an extension of Downtown.
Look for the blocks between the arena site and the lower end of Uptown to become really hot in the real estate market. This, in turn, will bring more jobs and more growth to the burgeoning center city areas, which makes your property in the M Streets, Lakewood and other parts of East Dallas more desirable and, hence, more valuable.
