Ahead of ourselves in R-Town

[freewaytincan]

http://www.cor.net/DevelopmentSvcs/images/ric-4map.jpg

Well, that got your attention, I bet! Recently, I was perusing the City of Richardson's site (http://www.cor.net) and came upon the Development Services. Here, I have found many interesting items in the Planning and Zoning section. It appears that the city is more excited about TODs than any I can think of. Check it out!
http://www.cor.net/DevelopmentSvcs/PlanningForms.html
On the site above, I reccomend viewing "Spring Valley and Main Street Station Area Plans" and "Arapaho Center Station Area Plan" in the top right corner, under "Transit-Oriented Development Planning Reports". It's quite interesting to see what may be in store for us here. And be sure to watch the video (http://www.cor.net/CITVVideo/Homepage.html) and see the ULI report (http://www.cor.net/ULIReport/Homepage.html)

About the video...I remember it coming out, over two years ago. And even after an economic decline and all, the city is not only meeting the expectations set forth in 2000, but is exceeding them and improving on the plans!

[chiboi]

Urban, this was very interesting. I liked the pictures of what the area could look like...awesome!

[psukhu]

Richardson may help pay for DART station
Main Street project hinges on agency adding it to system plan


07/17/2003

By SARAH POST / The Dallas Morning News

Richardson could shoulder $8 million of the cost to build a Main Street light rail station.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments allotted $8 million in federal funding – 50 percent of the cost – for the station's construction, but city officials said they are worried the money could be reallocated if the project isn't started soon.

The project hinges on Dallas Area Rapid Transit putting the station on its system plan.

Richardson city officials have drafted a letter to DART saying Richardson will relieve the transit agency of matching the federal funding if the transit agency will commit to building the station.

"We would like to see that station evolve as quickly as is reasonable," City Manager Bill Keffler said. "But DART has other commitments, and if it were up to them to shoulder the burden it [the Main Street station] would lose out."

The city's funding match (the other 50 percent) could come from:

• A tax increment financing district in which increased tax revenue from new private investment and greater land values are used to finance public improvements.

• Developers and adjacent landowners.

• Other federal sources.

• A future bond program.

• Certificates of obligation (debt repaid by property taxes or operating revenues).

• Grants.

The council of governments is interested in making sure projects to improve the region's air quality are on schedule, said Chris Klaus, principal transportation planner for the council. He said the projects awarded funding are part of the agency's air quality plan, which it is under obligation from the state to fulfill in a timely manner.

"We have a commitment to get these projects on the ground within a particular time frame," Mr. Kraus said. "They are meant to be out fairly quickly."

The City Council will discuss the offer to DART in detail at its next business meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. July 28.

DART officials gave a statement after learning the draft letter was discussed Monday.

"We appreciate the city of Richardson's offer of financial support," DART spokesman Estela Hernandez said Tuesday. "We are looking at it in the context of our commitment to all our member cities and will look at it as a part of our long-range planning efforts."

Ms. Hernandez said DART is working with the council of governments to analyze new ridership that would be generated by proposed land uses near the station area.

Officials hope to revive the city's old downtown with small-scale development. They see opportunities for large-scale redevelopment at the DFW China Town shopping center, Harwood International and Richardson Heights Village Shopping Center. They envision a public plaza at Main Street and Greenville Avenue and parking structures to alleviate congestion.

The Main Street station will benefit DFW China Town, said Lucheng Mailloux, manager of American First National Bank in the Asian shopping center.

"It will boost up the business here," Ms. Mailloux said. "Chinese and non-Chinese will come here to eat or just sight see, just like Chinatowns in other parts of the world."

At least one council member said the city should not foot the bill and he will not support a plan to do so.

Jim Shepherd said he is troubled by Monday's informal discussion of committing $8 million – which may or may not be taxpayer money – to the station. He said the city seems determined to "make it happen at all costs."

"Regardless of how enthused the council is on any subject, it is fundamentally wrong to say we will pay for it one way or another without it being a formal agenda item with a much clearer discussion on what the funding will be, how and when it will be doled out and why in the world we would be doing it in the first place," Mr. Shepherd said.

Mr. Keffler said that Richardson residents approved support of DART in 1983, and that the community has endorsed the city's efforts to use the stations as an economic engine to rejuvenate the areas surrounding them. He also points to the council of governments, which ranked the station among the higher priorities for the region.

[freewaytincan]

Although I'll be moving to Huntsville next year, I'd be plenty willing to help pay for this new station. I have a feeling a lot of people would.

[CARTMAN]

I think this is a really, really, great project they are proposing. It seems like they are more ambitous about getting this project off the ground than Dallas' Main Street. But all in all since the Dallas area is truly a suburban area its nice to see the cities surrounding Big D take on projects like this. It really enhances the entire area surrounding Dallas and gets back to the basis of Mixed Use Development which is what makes a true city. Hats off to the Suburbs that are developing Mixed Use Projects such as Garland, Plano, Irving, Mckinney, Rockwall.
:-) May the list continue.

[freewaytincan]

Originally posted by CARTMAN
I think this is a really, really, great project they are proposing. It seems like they are more ambitous about getting this project off the ground than Dallas' Main Street. But all in all since the Dallas area is truly a suburban area its nice to see the cities surrounding Big D take on projects like this. It really enhances the entire area surrounding Dallas and gets back to the basis of Mixed Use Development which is what makes a true city. Hats off to the Suburbs that are developing Mixed Use Projects such as Garland, Plano, Irving, Mckinney, Rockwall.
:-) May the list continue.

No kidding, about Main Street(s). Downtown Richardson, as I understand from loooooongtime residents (yeah, all those "o"s are necessary!) used to be a great place to be. I also think that the Asian population is going to do an awful lot of shaping for downtown, and that's definitely good for diverse needs, and the individuality of the area.

Yeah, mixed use has the potential to polarize all the cities in the Metroplex. That's something I dream of.

[INTX dave]

Originally posted by CARTMAN
I think this is a really, really, great project they are proposing. It seems like they are more ambitous about getting this project off the ground than Dallas' Main Street. But all in all since the Dallas area is truly a suburban area its nice to see the cities surrounding Big D take on projects like this. It really enhances the entire area surrounding Dallas and gets back to the basis of Mixed Use Development which is what makes a true city. Hats off to the Suburbs that are developing Mixed Use Projects such as Garland, Plano, Irving, Mckinney, Rockwall.
:-) May the list continue.



I do agree that all of these projects are positive moves forward, but I think it is completely unfair to compare them to downtown Dallas and the Main Street revitalization going on there. It is truly apples and oranges.

In many cases, the suburbs are building new from scratch, or in a few cases (Plano, Garland, etc.) are trying to revitalize their historic core as mixed use residential neighborhoods (though still mostly suburban). Meanwhile downtown Dallas has to deal with a much larger scale of structures, history, and culture.

I think a much better comparison would be with the neighborhoods within Dallas. The size of the city could encompass a number of these suburbs which are developing town squares. Therefore, why couldn't the city include a number of these town squares within its borders?

Perhaps it has already started, with the likes of the West Village and Mockingbird Station, but what would help it continue?

[CARTMAN]

I totally agree with you INTX dave. I guess I'm being a little hard on Dallas, but I guess who else will if no one pressured the city to more things along? As far as focusing on particular Urban neighborhoods in Dallas to develop, I do think that is true.
Even though the studies say Subways, Light Rail don't really bring everything back to the city, but I do think they help. As you mentioned West Village and Mockingbird Station both are accessible to the train. So I don't think these studies about Light Rail really look at the whole picture. They just focus on the Downtown areas where Light Rail is available. Logic should tell these consultants, not every company in the region can afford to or fit into a Central District, but if you link Light Rail and build up Urban Centers(West Village, Mockingbird Station, near future Victory, Deep Ellum and Fair Park) surrounding a Downtown it will only bridge the gap and create a huge demand for development to the Downtown areas surrounding cities like Dallas and its Central area.

But if that didn't really answer your question, I think that when the Light Rail is completed to Carrollton and Irving we will see more clusters of walkable Urban Villages like the West Village and Mockingbird Station.