Ask around, and no one seems to quite know what the status of the proposed White Rock Lake high-rise project is. The feeling, and it’s nothing more than that, is that after the new City Council is elected in May, Emerald Isle will get approved in one form or another, probably around 10 stories.
The project’s low profile — hardly anything has been heard from developer Mark Miller since he said he would cut its height from 25 stories to 13 in July — has many people who are opposed to the project worried. The ones I have talked to are afraid that since the project has slipped from view, some sort of deal has been cut to get it done. Miller, on the other hand, has been heard telling as many people as possible how difficult it is do a deal in East Dallas, given the obstructions presented by the neighborhood. (How terrible of us not to accept his largess at face value.)
None of this surprises me, Dallas being Dallas. Much of what happens next depends on the makeup of the next council, and especially whether Gary Griffith’s successor supports the deal. The only announced candidate, Jill Kotvis, hasn’t said anything yet, though her web site does offer a nebulous statement about maintaining the quality of the lake. I do know that at least one tenant in the medical building that will be torn down to make room for Emerald Isle is not moving any time soon, which leads me to believe that the deal is on hold until at least May.
The other striking feature of this debate is how many people who don’t appear to be Miller apparently support Emerald Isle. Look here and here. This is surprising, if only because residents on both sides of the lake have had a long and bitter history with failed development in this area. But the supporters may see something others don’t. If the project gets OK’d, I hope they’re right.
