Grand Prairie: Wildflower Resort at Estes Peninsula of Joe Pool Lake

[CTroyMathis]

Anyone catch wind of this before?

http://www.turnerconstruction.com/dallas/content.asp?d=381

Wildflower Resort -- Grand Prairie, TX

The Dallas office of Turner Construction Company was awarded a design/build contract with the Wildflower Resort Company to build the Wildflower Resort on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie. The project consists of a 500-room, four-star hotel with a 77,000 sq. ft. conference center and a 33,000 sq. ft. spa on a 900-acre site. The resort will be surrounded by two golf courses with all the amenities. One course is a Jack Nacklaus Signature design and the other will be a Sergio Garcia Tournament course. Within the golf course tracts will be aareas designated for the construction of 300 villas.

[CTroyMathis]

http://www.pressoffice.intercontinental.com/pressreleases.cfm?ID=669&CID=5

INTERCONTINENTAL RESORT HOTEL TO OPEN ON TEXAS LAKEFRONT PENINSULA
Centerpiece of $200 Million Wildflower Resort Development

ATLANTA — (April 23, 2003) InterContinental Hotels Group (www.ichotelsgroup.com), the world’s most global hotel company, today announced plans to open its latest InterContinental resort hotel as the centerpiece of a project spread across a 1,000-acre lakefront peninsula in Grand Prairie, Texas, and located just south of the DFW (Dallas/Forth Worth) Airport.

The InterContinental Wildflower is the first domestic U.S. resort property to be added to the brand’s portfolio. The resort joins more than 20 other InterContinental resort properties around the world in glamorous destinations including Cancun, Cozumel, Bali, Bora Bora, Victoria Falls, Los Cabos and Moorea. With more than 135 hotels and resorts in more than 65 countries, InterContinental has been the preferred hotel brand for international travelers for nearly 60 years. InterContinental has mastered the delicate balance between providing consistent, superior service, while also capturing the local flavor where each hotel is located.

Just 20 minutes from DFW International Airport, and from either downtown Dallas or Fort Worth, the InterContinental Wildflower will be part of the new $200 million Wildflower Resort. Designed as a group meeting and golf destination, the Resort will include a 75,000 sq. ft. conference center and a 36-hole golf complex with a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and Sergio Garcia’s first golf course design. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2003 and the hotel is expected to open in 2005.

The InterContinental Wildflower hotel will be owned by Wildflower Resort Company and managed by InterContinental Hotels Corporation.

The five-story main building of the hotel, with numerous ancillary buildings, will include 500 luxury guestrooms, 77 of which will be suites, as well as a 25,000 sq. ft. world class spa and fitness center.

The neighboring Grand Prairie conference center, to be owned by the City of Grand Prairie operated by the InterContinental Wildflower, will offer 75,000-sq. ft. of state-of-the-art conference meeting space.

“We are pleased to introduce the InterContinental Wildflower to the growing portfolio of InterContinental hotels in North America,” said Bob Massey, vice president of business development, InterContinental Hotels Group. “The hotel is strategically positioned to serve both group meetings, business and leisure travelers and we are looking forward to delivering the world-renown InterContinental experience to all of our guests.”

“InterContinental is the ideal hotel for the Wildflower Resort because the brand is best positioned in the industry to exceed the expectations of our target market as an international group meeting and golf destination resort,” said Raymond J. Goad, President & CEO of Wildflower Resort Company.

Destined to become an architectural landmark, the InterContinental Wildflower Hotel recalls the Texas ranch configuration with a forecourt, main ‘house’ and numerous ranch-style ancillary buildings. The gentle curving metal roof over the main hotel building will serve as the resort's icon. The hotel’s interior design concept reflects a similar juxtaposition between traditional and modern styling. The public spaces place contemporary furnishings and textures against a backdrop of warm woodnotes and Texas stones. The guestrooms will offer a sophisticated, monochromatic palette with elegant detailing and handsome built-ins that communicate Texas hospitality with a decidedly cosmopolitan flair.

Hotel amenities will include:
* Access to the 75,000-sq. ft. Grand Prairie Conference Center, providing an elegant 32,000 sq. ft. pre-function entry to the 25,000 square foot Grand Ballroom and 9,500 square foot Junior
Ballroom. Other unique features include a 3,000 square foot Amphitheater and more than 6,000 square feet of additional meeting rooms and spacious pre-function areas.
* 185-seat casual dining restaurant that bridges out to a two-story all-glass spiral-shaped bar.
* 80-seat specialty restaurant featuring fine dining.
* Separate marble shower and garden tub in each guest bathroom.
* Access to 36 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature/Sergio Garcia golf.
* 25,000-sq. ft. health spa and fitness center with state of the art exercise facilities, lounges, gardens, lap pool, treatment rooms and luxury day rooms.
* Several outdoor pools and lounge areas.
* Exquisite main courtyard with circular fountain.
* Lakefront beach area with naturally landscaped 300 ft. “Slippery Rock Creek” slide.
* Access to restaurants, shops and entertainment-related facilities on resort property.
* 800 parking spaces.

Tom Hart, City Manger of Grand Prairie, responded to the InterContinental announcement with the statement: "The City of Grand Prairie is working closely with Wildflower Resort Company to support the development of what will surely become recognized as a landmark international destination resort in the DFW Metroplex. The City is delighted to welcome InterContinental Hotels and Resorts to Grand Prairie and the Wildflower team."

Isaac Manning and Daniel Burds of Trinity Works Capital of Fort Worth, Texas are acting as financial advisors for the Wildflower Resort Company. Wildflower Resort is being developed under a design build contract with Turner Construction as Project Manager and General Contractor, associated with Gensler architects. The development team includes Troon Golf who will manage the Nicklaus and Garcia designed golf courses. Other consultants include: Landscape Architect, MESA Design Group, Dallas; Structural Engineer, Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers, Dallas; MEP Engineer, James Johnston & Associates, Inc., Dallas; Civil Engineer, Schrickel, Rollins & Associates, Arlington, TX; Life Safety (Code), Rolf Jensen & Associates, Dallas; Lighting Design, Craig Roberts Associates, Dallas; Food Service Facilities, Cini-Little International, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL; and, A/V Acoustics, Pelton Marsh Kinsella, Dallas.

[CTroyMathis]

http://www.gptx.org/newsrelease/estes.asp

http://www.golftexas.com/departments/features/holland-august-notebook.htm

[CTroyMathis]

More info from official webpage:
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/index_01.htm


Location:
Viewed as a baseball diamond, Dallas is first base, Dallas Fort Worth (“DFW”) Airport is second base, Fort Worth is third base and Wildflower is home plate. The host City of Grand Prairie is the pitcher's mound. Access to the site from any of the three bases can be accomplished in 20-25 minutes.

The unique setting of the Estes Park Peninsula, with more than four miles of waterfront, provides Wildflower guests a desirable “get-away” feeling unmatched by any urban resort facilities now existing, or likely to be developed in the Southwest. The unspoiled beauty and pristine ecology of the lake and peninsula landmass provides a desirable contrast and escape from the hustle and bustle of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex area.

[CTroyMathis]

Image 1:

[CTroyMathis]

More renderings here:
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/hotel.htm#

Image 2:

Designed and programmed as a major group-meeting venue, Wildflower features The Grand Prairie Conference Center, with approximately 75,000 square feet of strategically planned meeting space and the capability to simultaneously host two or more groups.

Conference Center facilities are centered around a grand allée providing an elegant pre-function entry to the 20,000 square foot Grand Ballroom and 9,000 square foot Junior Ballroom. Other unique features include a 3,000 square foot Amphitheater and more than 6,000 square feet of additional meeting rooms and spacious pre-function areas.

Meeting and pre-function areas are accessible to outdoor terraces and gardens so the guests can enjoy the resort’s natural surroundings.

[CTroyMathis]

Unbelievable. Do I see a freakin' lighthouse?! ;)

Image 3:

The Wildflower Entertainment Center is situated so that it can be seen from the bridge entering the resort area as well as be reached by foot or by water taxi by guests of the resort hotel. Its location creates a natural opportunity for a boardwalk connecting waterfront restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as the ability to connect to a lakefront nature trail.
The entrance to the center is a wide greenbelt that leads to the heart of the project – the town square. Surface parking that serves the center is buffered by greenscape on all sides and broken into smaller fields by greenbelts connecting the resort landscape to the entertainment center. Water features mark the vehicular entrance to the project and lead to the town square, reinforcing the center’s relationship to the water.

Wildflower Entertainment Center is a mix of restaurant, entertainment and specialty retail shops designed to feel as though they were all built as a part of the boardwalk. The architectural language of the buildings is a modern interpretation of Texas vernacular style and each is designed to suit its context. Restaurants overhang the edge of the boardwalk, and feature large covered dining decks and outlooks between them providing pedestrians a place to overlook the lake beyond. At the town square, the architecture reinforces the plaza space and has tenants with second level mezzanine spaces looking onto the square. Entertainment venues and specialty retail tenants anchor the town square, as well as a small four to six screen cineplex.

Along the waterfront, several new amenities will create an exciting lakefront presence for the project. A pleasure pier and adjacent inlet near the town square will allow visitors to interact with the lake and provide docking for water taxis and rental boats. An outdoor bandshell and concert venue at the end of the pier will provide an opportunity for a concert series to activate the pier and create a focal point for the project. A small marina will also connect to the pier, activating pedestrian traffic. Along the lakefront, a nature trail meanders through natural landscape and connects at key points to the boardwalk above.

[CTroyMathis]

So, what do you all think? Yep, I kind of think it's cool and very interesting. Lakefront development... thumbs up.
And, it's not that Gaylord thing in Grapevine either. ;)

[CTroyMathis]

The golf part.

Image 4:

The resort golf complex is destined to become regarded as one of the finest golf experiences in the State of Texas attracting both out-of-town hotel guests and local residents to the resort on a year-round basis.

The 36-hole project includes a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and Sergio Garcia’s first golf course design. Nicklaus Design supports the design work of Garcia, the 22-year-old PGA tour star.

Nicklaus Design, recognized as the world leader in golf course design, has been involved with over 250 courses open for play in 27 countries and 35 states. Of those, Jack Nicklaus has designed, co-designed or re-designed 208 courses around the globe, 35 of which have been ranked in various national or international Top-100 lists.



..........................................

Did I see something about a boutique hotel in this one...?

[CTroyMathis]

Maybe that proposed gig in Euless would look good here... ;)


http://www.wildflowerresort.com/images/Arch/Architecture_r1_c1.jpg
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/images/Arch/Architecture_r1_c1_f2.jpg
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/images/Arch/Architecture_r1_c1_f3.jpg
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/images/Arch/Architecture_r1_c1_f4.jpg
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/images/Arch/Architecture_r1_c1_f5.jpg
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/images/Arch/Architecture_r1_c1_f6.jpg
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/images/Arch/Architecture_r1_c1_f7.jpg
http://www.wildflowerresort.com/images/Arch/Architecture_r1_c1_f8.jpg

[tamtagon]

I wonder when this will be done??? I didnt notice any opening dates posted on teh website.

[drumguy8800]

Oh wow how insane. A resort on Joe Pool Lake..

[sterling]

I can't believe I never saw this thread before now (must have been too busy griping about something). I've often wondered about it after they "announced" some time ago. I loved the concept then, and it's great to see all these renderings (I've only seen two previously). Anybody got the skinny on how it's going?

[texman]

Yeah, I completely missed it too. Cool, looks like the Gaylord Development. Hopefully it wont be so cheesy.

[RobertB]

Oh wow how insane. A resort on Joe Pool Lake..
When I lived in Grand Prairie, I tried to get the golf-playing contingent of my co-workers to go check out the city's two golf courses. I don't think "derision" is too strong a word to describe their response.

I don't think it had anything to do with the quality of the courses, as much as with the strange perception of Grand Prairie as a backwater. I'd live there over any other suburb -- would have stayed, too, if we didn't need more space for the horses. Good schools, great neighborhoods (at least to my tastes, which tend toward diversity rather than homogeny) and much cheaper than any of those northern 'burbs.

I still don't know if the city is well-served by trying to build resorts on Dam Fool Lake. I wasn't a fan of the lake to begin with -- it cut off part of the Belt Line Road countywide loop, so my roadgeek side immediately rebelled. I hope it works out for the city.

[tamtagon]

A lot of it's pretty there. Grand Prairie has a future.

[drumguy8800]

I still don't know if the city is well-served by trying to build resorts on Dam Fool Lake. I wasn't a fan of the lake to begin with -- it cut off part of the Belt Line Road countywide loop, so my roadgeek side immediately rebelled. I hope it works out for the city.
This is a problem that could easily be fixed. In Cedar Hill, just west of Canady, FM-1382 splits with Belt Line. Belt Line then travels southwest, then curves up and is cut off by Joe Pool Lake. If you follow FM-1382 through far southwest Dallas and to I-20, it RECONNECTS WITH BELT LINE @ I-20. Why don't they just rename FM-1382 Belt Line and rename Belt Line travelling through old downtown Cedar Hill and into the lake something else?! It's insane, I tell you! Insane!

And by the way, Robert, I wasn't bashing GP. I think it's a beautiful area (minus the middle of it, near SH-180..) I was just saying that it was odd to hear about a resort going in near Dallas. It's pretty unexpected to put a resort in any city near Dallas.

[RobertB]

This is a problem that could easily be fixed. In Cedar Hill, just west of Canady, FM-1382 splits with Belt Line. Belt Line then travels southwest, then curves up and is cut off by Joe Pool Lake. If you follow FM-1382 through far southwest Dallas and to I-20, it RECONNECTS WITH BELT LINE @ I-20. Why don't they just rename FM-1382 Belt Line and rename Belt Line travelling through old downtown Cedar Hill and into the lake something else?! It's insane, I tell you! Insane!

And by the way, Robert, I wasn't bashing GP. I think it's a beautiful area (minus the middle of it, near SH-180..) I was just saying that it was odd to hear about a resort going in near Dallas. It's pretty unexpected to put a resort in any city near Dallas.
I wonder how many Dallasites even realize that there's a state park (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/cedarhil/) on the lake (with good fishing spots from the shore) just outside the city limits?

And you're right -- it's silly to have not renamed FM 1382 as Belt Line Road, and find a new name for the stub from Cedar Hill. But it's only been in the past few years that Grand Prairie finally renamed SE 8th St to "Belt Line Road". GP was always the weak link in the beltline -- it was discontinuous between SE 8th and what is now Robinson Road. But GP has finally taken care of their end. Now, I think it's up to Cedar Hill, and possibly the county, to finish the job. Then, we need to restore the signs that showed the map of the road around the county -- those were cool.

[Tnekster]

I just talked to the wildflower folks. She said they have no start date but they estimate completion to be mid-2007. I would think they would need to start soon if they want to finish in just a little over two years. I think the resort itself sounds great. At the time they were running around presenting the concept a couple years ago I heard that it would be an Audobon approved golf course that would utilize native landscaping and minimize environmental damage.

[CTroyMathis]

^ Thanks for that info. I was just about to ask about any new updates.

[CTroyMathis]

I know that in the grand scheme o'things, it's kinda cheesy seeing that faux lighthouse in one of the models/renderings posted above. But, I still think it's a pretty interesting idea. Oh, and I enjoy cheddar too.

Tnek, any other news through the grapevine out your way?

[CTroyMathis]

From: The Office of the City Manager Date: 6-21-2005
Subject: Agenda Item No. E.1
Wildflower Resort Company Lease (tabled from the May 3, 2005 meeting)
Consideration of termination of the Lease with Wildflower Resort Company
PRESENTER: Donald Postell, City Attorney
ANALYSIS:
In November of 1999, the Trinity River Authority (TRA) entered into a 50 year lease with a forty-nine
year extension with Estes Park Development Company, L.L.C., (EPDC) to allow the development of a
resort on the Estes Peninsula. The City of Grand Prairie subsequently assumed the TRA interest and
Wildflower Resort Company (Wildflower) assumed the interest of EPDC. Since April of 2002
Wildflower has made $2,490,000 in rent payments but has not yet begun construction on the resort.
Wildflower had a rent payment in the amount of $325,000 due on March 1, 2005 but has not made that
payment. The City sent a demand letter to cure the rent deficiency within 30 days on March 2, 2005.
The full rent payment was received on April 18, 2005.

http://www.gptx.org/CityCouncil/documents/Agenda.pdf

[RobertB]

Wow, and I thought the $75 increase in my mortgage payment this year was a bear!

... and they're not even buying!

[fanofwildflower]

Does anyone have an update on Wildflower plans? I checked out the website (www.wildflowerresort.com) emailed the info address, and called the number posted on the website. Info email came back as undeliverable, but the phone number was answered by someone who said "Wildflower resort, can I help you?"...

Hmm, i think it would be great if the resort development began soon. That would have to be great for the home values in the immediate area, it would bring some jobs to the area, and would bring good golf to GP!

Any updates will be appreciated.

[Tnekster]

Does anyone have an update on Wildflower plans? I checked out the website (www.wildflowerresort.com (http://www.wildflowerresort.com/)) emailed the info address, and called the number posted on the website. Info email came back as undeliverable, but the phone number was answered by someone who said "Wildflower resort, can I help you?"...

Hmm, i think it would be great if the resort development began soon. That would have to be great for the home values in the immediate area, it would bring some jobs to the area, and would bring good golf to GP!

Any updates will be appreciated.

The whole thing sounds dead to me. I called that number a while back and she said they were looking for a mid year 2007 completion date but had no info on a start date. Did you ask them anything?

[freewaytincan]

I hope it doesn't work out. It seems so out of place there.

Hey, back to those renderings, what's with the very tiny sailboats?

[Tnekster]

^Right on Lake Ridge Parkway, accessible from Hwy 67 or I-20. The location is not much different than the Gaylord in terms of being set back away from the main highway. I thought the plan was a good one and I especially like the boardwalk with shops and restaurants along the water. Plus the plan had the blessing of the Audobon society in its preservation and use of native species. Now it will probably just be turned into another mass of suburbia.

[fanofwildflower]

Tnekster,
The whole thing does sound dead... I agree.. And that is unfortunate, since I think a resort might succeed very well at that location. When I called, I asked where I could get some info regarding the progress on resort planning etc.. The lady told me that she could forward me to the project manager's voice mailbox and she gave me an email - rgoad@wildflowerresort.com. I sent off a question to this email, but haven't heard back yet.

The investors are probably worried about the location of the resort - it could be too far from the "new growth" area of north DFW. Perhaps they are closely following the progress/success of the Gaylord Texan.

Anyone else have info on the progress/plans? It sure would be nice to avoid just another nice suburb (like the nearby Tangle-ridge, Grand Peninsula, or Mira Lagos). Those are all nice, but the city could use a big development nearby. I wonder if there is anyone who runs GP who understands that, and who's offered good incentives to the developers of the Wildflower. Perhaps a campaign for increased incentives would get the project up off the ground.

[fanofwildflower]

I found the following in the GP city council notes... They had on their June 21 council meeting agenda "consider terminating an agreement with the developer or Wildflower resort". HOWEVER, after the meeting, the minutes indicate that "things are starting to happen" with regard to resort, so they apparently have not terminated the lease agreement... See the following:

>>>>>>>>>Items for Individual Consideration

E.1 Wildflower Resort Company Lease
Mayor Pro Tem Swafford said this has been on the agenda for several meetings. He stated that a conference call had been held with the developer and things are starting to happen with regard to the development and asked if Council would consider tabling this item indefinitely.

Mayor Pro Tem moved, seconded by Council Member Jensen, to table indefinitely the consideration of the Wildflower Resort Company lease.

Ayes: Council Members Fregoe, Herring, Jackson, Jensen, Robertson, Shotwell, Thorn, Mayor Pro Tem Swafford, and Mayor England

Nays: None

The motion carried unanimously.>>>>>>>>>>>

Taken from: http://www.govdocs.com/service/docs/TXGRANDP/TXGRANDP_8/TXGRANDP_8_20050621_en.htm

Enjoy!

[tamtagon]

Hotel/retail/entertainment resorts on Metroplex area reservoirs are a sure bet - the recreational variety will be easily sustained as more people live in the area. I think Wildflower is particularly nice with the lighthouse(??), and Joe Pool comes with gently rolling hills, and a state park.

[texman]

Just curious, but who exactly was Joe Pool?

[Tnekster]

The investors are probably worried about the location of the resort - it could be too far from the "new growth" area of north DFW. Perhaps they are closely following the progress/success of the Gaylord Texan.



Based on what I have heard GP folks say, that area is just as hot as any other. They have thousands of new homes in the pipeline plus the extension of bush turnpike coming down to I-20. The lakeridge extension has been approved so access to this area will only keep getting better. I bike over there and see nothing but new rooftops every time I go. The area is prime. I hope they can keep it alive.

[VectorWega]

You guys are right about 1382 needing to be named beltline. It's confusing as hell trying to explain to people that a certain store is on beltline..not 1382 beltline, the other Beltline.

So did Grand Prairie drop the ball on this or what? And what's up with Grand Prairie anyway? Why is it a skinny town that stretches all the way from practically DFW Airport down to Ellis County...and why do they continue to try and annex land even farther south. Haven't they done a bad enough job with the land they have? No offense, but most of GP I've been to is less than desirable. They do have far South GP which is nice, but maybe they should give that to Cedar Hill so that we can get something done about putting a resort down there.

BTW, Joe Pool was a US Congressman back in the day. Apparently he is the one that pushed for the development of the lake. His son Wes Pool is a custom home builder. His current development right now is Sherwood Forest. It's a small subdivision of tudor style garden homes in the heart of Cedar Hill (link: http://www.wespool.com/Sherwood_forest.htm ) The homes begin around 200k and go up into the 300s. IMO, it's probably a good place for older people, or smaller familes that don't like doing yard work.

BTW, Cedar Hill State Park is very known to many Dallas residents. Every year it is either 1st or 2nd in overall visitors by Texas state parks (this is shocking, except when you consider it's location).

[RobertB]

So did Grand Prairie drop the ball on this or what? And what's up with Grand Prairie anyway? Why is it a skinny town that stretches all the way from practically DFW Airport down to Ellis County...and why do they continue to try and annex land even farther south. Haven't they done a bad enough job with the land they have? No offense, but most of GP I've been to is less than desirable. They do have far South GP which is nice, but maybe they should give that to Cedar Hill so that we can get something done about putting a resort down there.
Slow down, cowboy! Grand Prairie has done all it can to extend the "Belt Line Road" designation in a logical manner. The current Robinson Road is old Belt Line, and if you can figure out how it connected with the new Belt Line -- previously known as SE 8th Street -- you get a gold star. Grand Prairie did the heavy lifting, changing road names and convincing residents and businesses that it would be a Good Thing. It's your beloved Cedar Hill that has dropped the ball, with a tangled mess of street names including 1382, Belt Line, Clark Rd., and New Clark Rd all conspirnig to confound roadgeeks like me.

As for "why do they continue to try and annex land even farther south?" Well, it's probably because Arlington, Dallas, and Irving haven't gotten around to giving *their* land to GP as an early Christmas present. There's only one way to go, and that's south... and it just so happens that south encompasses that silly lake, so GP has the opportunity to annex some highly valuable (overpriced, but still taxable) land. Failing to do so would be the dumb move -- they'd end up landlocked like Arlington, facing a dwindling tax base supporting increasing infrastructure needs. Of course, the truly sustainable approach would be to infill and build a more urban infrastructure -- but find me *any* suburb that has the vision for that approach. GP is doing better than most in the current suburban paradigm (ooh, nice buzzword!).

I suppose you'd rate the part of GP where I spent 10 years as "less than desirable". It was built in the '70s, so the houses are no longer the showplaces you'll find south of I-20. But my neighbors were good folks, working for a living and getting by. That's desirable to me. YMMV.

[Tnekster]

Grand Prairie is actually on a roll these days. Things are looking up from north to south. Housing construction in the south is booming and most of the south has become a fairly affluent region of the city. The lake is working to their advantage and helping to spur all kinds of development. They also can look forward to the George Bush Turnpike coming through town very soon. That will kick off a new round of development and will help to revitalize the northern sections of the city. Speaking of the northern end, the biggest thing going up there right now is Vought. They received a major Texas Enterprise Fund grant from the Governor to expand operations here. Technically the company might not be located in GP but the economic impact of the plant expansion and re-opening of the Naval Reserve airport are already stirring new development and leading to some of Vought's suppliers to setup shop nearby, thus adding additional economic impact.

Myself, I am happy to see our Dallas neighbor recovering. A healthy GP is good for SW Dallas.

[RobertB]

They also can look forward to the George Bush Turnpike coming through town very soon. That will kick off a new round of development and will help to revitalize the northern sections of the city.
Ugh, you're on my fightin' side now. :)

SH 161 through Grand Prairie will do nothing to help "revitalize" anything. It cuts through an established working-class neighborhood, destroying homes and businesses that have held the neighborhood together as the nearby Six Flags Mall area disintegrated into a red-light district. Once 161 is in place, everything to its west will decay at an accelerated pace.

Not coincidentally, the area to be blighted is primarily African-American. The primary organized forces against SH 161, though, were the higher-end homeowners north of I-30. They made a huge mistake by focusing solely on their own interests, marching into the battle with "Property Values!" as their cry. Though they delayed the project, they weren't able to get traction because when they got on TV, their only visible motivations were greed and sour grapes. I think if they had joined hands with the folks further south, and made it a fight for Social and Economic Justice (two of the Green Party's Ten Key Values (http://www.gp.org/tenkey.shtml), by the way), they'd have won in the court of public opinion.

Now, there are some vast empty spaces in north Grand Prairie. These are zoned commercial, however -- part of a long-ago plan to build a large industrial hub near DFW. I think it was called "High Prairie", if I remember the fading "coming soon" signs correctly. If there are plans to turn those industrial zones into residential areas, great. That could have been done just as well with a boulevard meeting up with SH 183, without the highway. SH 161 is a $300 million dollar boondoggle that will bail out those developers -- at the expense of the working-class residents on the west side of town.

[Tnekster]

Once 161 is in place, everything to its west will decay at an accelerated pace.



Where else along the turnpike has this happened? Also, the city is preparing to expand it's retail base based on the expansion of this tollway. Is that bad for GP? I know I wish this turnpike were already in place as it would be my preferred route to work and home plus getting to north Dallas.

[RobertB]

Where else along the turnpike has this happened? Also, the city is preparing to expand it's retail base based on the expansion of this tollway. Is that bad for GP? I know I wish this turnpike were already in place as it would be my preferred route to work and home plus getting to north Dallas.
The rest of the PGBT was built in empty spaces. The segment of SH 161 (don't forget those "End PGBT, Begin SH 161" signs) between I-30 and Main St. is the existing residential area I'm most concerned about. Between Main and Pioneer Parkway (Spur 303), you have developable land on the east, but heavy industrial on the west with residential behind it. Between Pioneer Parkway and I-20, you have a lot of beautiful trees that were destined for the woodchipper in any case, but again -- you can develop that land better without a freeway! The freeway money should have gone to SH 360 reconstruction, especially at I-30. It was just easier to destroy a community -- after all, poor folks (whatever race) don't contribute to anyone's campaign coffers, right?

If you want an example of what happens when you run a freeway through an existing working-class residential area, I would direct your attention to I-35E through Oak Cliff, or perhaps I-35W in south Fort Worth. Residential streets cut off at the ROW don't count as "revitalization", at least not to me. Grand Prairie's mayor likes to say that SH 161 will be the next I-635 (as though that were a good thing). I think he's looking at the Galleria, when he should be looking at Red Bird and Seminary South -- aka Dead Bird and Cemetery South.

I'd love to be wrong, of course. But I think any economic development in west central Grand Prairie will happen despite the freeway, not because of it. Unless you count no-tell motels, seedy bars, strip joints, and "non-therapeutic" massage parlors as "economic development".

[VectorWega]

Slow down, cowboy! Grand Prairie has done all it can to extend the "Belt Line Road" designation in a logical manner.

Damn you road geeks! I was asking if they dropped the ball on the resort, not the road names. I apologize for the confusion.

[Tnekster]

^You could be right, I don't know and don't think any scenario presented will be correct in the end. The mayor probably thinks they have an opportunity to build a north-south route and plan it right as opposed to whatever they were thinking when they planned out 360. However, I don't beleive that just because Red Bird has become what it has that you can make the same assumtions about what may come along the turnpike.

[tamtagon]

She comes down from Grand Prairie
On a dark flat land she rides
On a resort she named Wildfire
With a whirlwind by her side
On a cold North Texas night

Oh, they say she died one winter
When there came a killing frost
And the resort she named Wildflower
Busted down his stall
In a blizzard he was lost

She ran calling Wildflower
She ran calling Wildflower
She ran calling Wildflower

By the dark of the moon I planted
But there came an early snow
There's been a hoot owl howlin' by my window now
For six nights in a row
She's coming for me I know
And on Wildfire we're both gonna go

We'll be riding Wildflower
She ran calling Wildflower
She ran calling Wildflower

On Wildflower we're going to ride her
We're gonna leave sod bustin' behind
Get these hard times right on out of our minds
Riding Wildflower

[fanofwildflower]

I'm a year older. Any news on Wildflower Resort?

I hear a deafening silence from the G Prairie city council news.

[RobertB]

Well, Wheel of Fortune is going to be taping in Grand Prairie (http://cbs11tv.com/local/local_story_192114208.html) next month. Maybe someone will hit the jackpot and use their winnings to get the thing going. :)

[tamtagon]

www.wildflowerresort.com

well, the website still works....

[dfwcre8tive]

Posted on Sun, Sep. 23, 2007
No resort here - just inquiries, lawsuits
By ANDREA JARES and ANDREA AHLES
Star-Telegram staff writers
http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/244652.html

GRAND PRAIRIE -- It was billed as an executive resort on the shores of Joe Pool Lake, where visitors could stay in a fancy hotel, gather at a city-built convention center or hit the links on a course designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

Today, however, the 900-acre site is as scrubby and undeveloped as it was the day the $200 million Wildflower Resort project was unveiled five years ago.

And just months after filing for bankruptcy, the resort and its developer, Raymond Goad, are at the center of an investigation by a white-collar crime squad, including the FBI, into allegations of money laundering, mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy and income-tax evasion in a nationwide scheme, according to court documents filed in Seattle.

The Star-Telegram has been unable to reach Goad for comment; he has not responded to calls made to the most recent telephone number available in court documents.

Even with new buyers waiting in the wings to take over the Wildflower project, however, unsuspecting private investors could be left holding the tab for millions of dollars in misspent funds, court documents indicate. And Grand Prairie is one of Wildflower's top creditors, claiming about $1 million in unpaid rental fees for the land.

Despite the years of delay and ongoing legal battles, however, Grand Prairie officials say taxpayer money has not been wasted and hope that the resort complex will become an attraction for the city.

"In the long term, we're still very optimistic that [Wildflower] will happen," said Don Postell, Grand Prairie's city attorney. "There is not another location that is 15 minutes from D/FW airport that is pristine and surrounded on two of the three sides by a lake."

A tangled web

Federal officials say Goad and two partners are part of a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that took money from investors, ostensibly for investments in foreign-currency options, and diverted it to Wildflower and other real estate deals.

Goad and his associates, both based near Seattle, are accused of misusing as much as $3 million in investor funds, and Goad is believed to have pocketed about $660,000 for himself and his family, according to sworn statements from federal officials and other documents filed in federal court in Seattle this year.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission have filed civil suits against Goad's partner, Joseph Lavin, saying he misused investor money for personal purchases and to fund Wildflower and another real estate project in Houston. Goad was not named as a defendant in the lawsuits, which seek financial penalties and the shutdown of Lavin's operations.

The IRS has also begun an inquiry into Lavin's and Goad's personal finances.

In a sworn document submitted to a Seattle federal court for permission to obtain a search warrant, an IRS agent said Goad was suspected of "mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and income tax violations."

The affidavit went on to detail Goad's spending habits. He purchased a yacht, shopped at high-end stores such as Gucci and Saks Fifth Avenue and sent money to relatives.

In September 2006, however, the Wildflower Resort Development filed for bankruptcy, citing more than $17 million in debts. In addition to Grand Prairie, creditors include Turner Construction, owed $3.5 million for design and construction planning; and Nicklaus Design, owed $542,637 for preliminary golf-course designs.

A March raid on Goad's luxury, high-rise apartment in Dallas turned up a blank pad of stock certificates, copies of cashier checks and a computer, according to the FBI.

At one point, Goad moved to West Palm Beach, Fla., saying he "had no place else to stay," according to court documents. But after Goad missed a hearing in Dallas, bankruptcy Judge Stacey Jernigan found him in contempt of court and ordered him to live in the Metroplex while the Wildflower bankruptcy proceeds. He must check in with a court trustee every Friday.

Goad was also forced into personal bankruptcy in May in Texas by creditors seeking to recoup about $7 million.

The court has ordered the sale of Goad's $1.1 million home in Seattle, with the sale expected to be completed in the fall.

Federal agents say in court documents that Goad routinely mingled his personal and business funds with those of Wildflower and did not pay federal income taxes.

No returns filed

Goad has not filed a tax return since 2000 and is under investigation for tax evasion, according to court documents filed by the Internal Revenue Service.

Investigators say the Wildflower Resort is tangled up in an investment scheme operated out of the Seattle-area residence of Lavin, also known as Joseph Ivcevic, who is described in court documents as Goad's "friend" and a "manager" in charge of finding funding for Wildflower.

On Aug. 1, the SEC filed a civil action in federal court in Seattle against Lavin and his company, Global Asset Partners.

The SEC says more than 100 investors were defrauded out of more than $5 million, with about $1.8 million diverted to Wildflower.

The trading commission filed a similar civil action the same day in the same Seattle court. The suit says Lavin and his companies solicited investments from customers in the U.S., Canada, France and Panama to invest in foreign-currency options contracts.

It says Lavin and his companies misappropriated more than $16 million in customer funds.

In March, the FBI and IRS searched Lavin's Woodinville, Wash., residence for evidence of "an investment and money laundering scheme," according to a sworn statement submitted to the court in support of a search warrant.

The address is the one used for the bank account for Wildflower Resort Development and offices for Global Asset. Computers, hard drives and CDs labeled "Wildflower" were seized.

What's next

Grand Prairie leaders say they are optimistic that the Wildflower Resort will still be built, and a potential buyer has stepped forward through the bankruptcy proceedings.

KB/Marcus Texas has agreed to pay $4.375 million for Wildflower's assets, including current construction plans for the 500-room hotel resort and two golf courses, and the lease with Grand Prairie to develop the site. KB is a partnership between Milwaukee-based hotel developer Marcus Corp. and venture capital firm KB Partners, based in Northbrook, Ill.

The offer was made under a special provision in federal bankruptcy law that allows a "stalking horse" bidder to purchase assets. If other potential buyers do not come forward during a specified period, the court will decide whether the stalking horse offer is best.

The court has also paid CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate broker, $50,000 to find other bidders for the project.

Bids are due Nov. 15, bankruptcy trustee Richard Roberson said recently.

Grand Prairie voters approved an increase in the hotel-motel tax several years ago to fund construction of an adjoining conference center to Wildflower, but the tax has never been enacted, city officials said. Bonds have not been issued for the project.

And city leaders are now working with KB to evaluate the site. If the deal falls through, the project would revert to the city.

"Either this developer will be able to make the project go, or if they don't then the property will come out of the bankruptcy process and go to the city," Postell said.

Federal investigations affecting resort project

Raymond Goad, the top executive in the Wildflower Resort planned for Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie, is, along with partner Joseph Lavin of Seattle, facing a number of accusations by federal agencies, according to documents filed in federal court.

The accusations stem from what federal agents say was a scheme to funnel money from an investment fund to pay for personal luxuries, the Wildflower project and a Houston real estate deal.

Here is a breakdown of the accusations, based on federal court documents and sworn statements filed by federal agents:

FBI: A "white-collar crime squad" is investigating Goad, Lavin and another partner on suspicion of money laundering, mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy.

Internal Revenue Service: An agent told a federal court in a sworn statement that he is investigating Goad and Lavin's personal finances, saying Goad has not filed a tax return since 2000.

Securities and Exchange Commission: It filed a civil suit in Seattle accusing Lavin and his firm, Global Asset Partners, of defrauding more than 100 investors out of more than $5 million, including diverting about $1.8 million to the Wildflower project. Goad is not named in the suit.

Commodity and Futures Trading Commission: It filed a civil suit in Seattle against Lavin and his companies, saying they misappropriated about $16 million in customer funds. Goad is not named in the suit.

Bankruptcy court: The Wildflower project and Goad's personal assets are tied up in separate bankruptcy proceedings in Dallas. A buyer has stepped forward to purchase the Wildflower plans, but the bankruptcy trustee is waiting to see whether anyone else is interested.

Source: Star-Telegram research

[hookbilledkite]

If it's any consolation, I think they are going to build a Hampton Inn along Hwy 360 in Grand Prairie.

[RobertB]

If it's any consolation, I think they are going to build a Hampton Inn along Hwy 360 in Grand Prairie.
So that means that the Wildflower wasn't Grand Prairie's last resort? :)

[Tnekster]

New investors make bid to take over $358 million project


09:44 PM CDT on Sunday, October 7, 2007
By KATHY A. GOOLSBY / The Dallas Morning News
kgoolsby@dallasnews.com

A proposed $358 million lakeside resort on Joe Pool Lake is back on the horizon, despite more than a decade of false starts and legal troubles for its most recent developer.

New investors recently filed a $4.4 million bid to buy plans and agreements for the project. Marcus Hotel Group in Milwaukee and Illinois-based KB Partners put in a bid as KB/Marcus Texas LLC to take over for developer Raymond Goad, who filed for bankruptcy in November.

City officials said they're hopeful the new investors finally will bring the resort to fruition.

"I do feel good about this one," Grand Prairie Mayor Charles England said of KB/Marcus Texas. "We've done a lot of research on them, and I think they've got the resources to get the finances for this."

Mr. Goad took on the project in 2002 under the name Wildflower Resort Co. and had been subleasing the property from the city of Grand Prairie. But Wildflower was continually late with its twice-annual lease payments. The city threatened to terminate its agreement with Mr. Goad's company at least three times. Then he filed for bankruptcy protection.

Mr. Goad could not be reached for comment. But the bankruptcy filing is not his only legal trouble.

Search warrant affidavits filed in March in U.S. District Courts in Seattle and Dallas reveal that Mr. Goad, his business partner Joseph Lavin and others are under investigation for suspected mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and income tax evasion.

According to the affidavit, FBI agents found that money received by Mr. Lavin's company from investors for a foreign currency trading scheme instead was used by Mr. Goad and Mr. Lavin. They are believed to have used the money for personal expenses and payments to family members and to the Wildflower Resort Co.

Mr. Lavin and his company, Global Asset Partners LLC, also are being sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which alleges they defrauded more than 100 investors out of more than $5 million. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in August, says that at least $1.8 million of that was wired to Wildflower Resort from January 2003 to November 2006, allegedly to pay start-up expenses.

Mr. Lavin, most recently from the Seattle area, could not be reached for comment.

Grand Prairie City Attorney Don Postell said the legal cases involving Mr. Goad and Mr. Lavin will not affect future development on the east side of the lake's peninsula.

"That's one of the advantages of this going back into bankruptcy," Mr. Postell said. "When it comes out of bankruptcy, it will come out clean and with no claims against it."

David Merritt, senior vice president of development for Marcus Hotels, confirmed that his company bid on the project but declined further comment, referring instead to the company's Web site.

According to the site, Marcus Hotels and Resorts owns 15 hotels in nine states, including the Hilton Garden Inn Houston Northwest, eight restaurants and three resorts. Two of the resorts are in Lake Geneva, Wis., and the third is in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"The big difference between them and Mr. Goad is they have resorts on the ground," Mr. Postell said.


Similar plans

Mr. Postell said KB/Marcus officials have indicated they plan to build a complex similar to what Wildflower proposed for the site, which is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and leased to the city. Those plans call for a 500-room luxury hotel, a 75,000-square-foot conference center, spa and fitness center, and a 36-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

"A shopping area is still in the works, but they're trying to decide what the mix of stores is that they can put out there," Mr. Postell said. "The corps is pretty limiting on what they want down there. They don't want a huge amount of retail."

Mr. Postell said the KB/Marcus deal is likely to close by year's end, but he does not know when the resort would open. The KB/Marcus bid is tentative and thus far the only one on the table, Mr. Postell said.

"Unless someone else comes in and offers at least $100,000 more than ... [the KB/Marcus bid], they'll be declared the winner," he said.

The deadline for bids is Nov. 15. The city has had other inquiries about the property, but Mr. Postell said Thursday that no other bids have been filed.

Mr. England said he and other officials have waited a long time for something to happen on the peninsula. He's hoping this time they won't be disappointed.

"This group has the ability to build a first-class resort and to get it done," Mr. England said. "We'll just keep our fingers crossed, but I think it's finally going to happen."

Mr. Goad was the third developer to take on the project. Over the years, his company paid the city several million dollars in lease payments, Mr. Postell said. Another $1 million in missed lease payments is still unpaid, he said.


List of creditors

According to bankruptcy documents, Wildflower Resort Co. owes more than $17 million to more than 30 creditors, including $3.5 million to Turner Construction in Dallas and $542,000 to Nicklaus Design for the golf course design and consulting fees.

"The only asset the estate has is the lease," Mr. Postell said. "There are some plans and stuff drawn up by the architects, but they and the construction company have money owed to them by Wildflower, so there are no other free and clear assets."

Earlier this year, a Chicago company sued Mr. Goad, claiming he defaulted on loans made to Wildflower Resort Co. in November 2005. According to court documents, Mr. Goad owed JMFunding Inc. $5.5 million, including penalties.

A Seattle home owned by Mr. Goad was foreclosed on in March after he missed six payments totaling more than $35,000. He also testified in a Florida court in June that his Dallas apartment had been seized by the courts, leaving him homeless.

[tamtagon]

09:44 PM CDT on Sunday, October 7, 2007
By KATHY A. GOOLSBY / The Dallas Morning News
kgoolsby@dallasnews.com
...
Siimilar plans

Mr. Postell said KB/Marcus officials have indicated they plan to build a complex similar to what Wildflower proposed for the site, which is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and leased to the city. Those plans call for a 500-room luxury hotel, a 75,000-square-foot conference center, spa and fitness center, and a 36-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.
...
The deadline for bids is Nov. 15. The city has had other inquiries about the property, but Mr. Postell said Thursday that no other bids have been filed.

Is this deal any closer to happening?

Grand Prairie has tons of potential.

[Tnekster]

08:58 PM CDT on Monday, March 24, 2008
By JON NIELSEN / The Dallas Morning News
jnielsen@dallasnews.com

A man once involved in plans to build a lakeside resort in Grand Prairie was sentenced last week to 4 ½ years in federal prison.

The U.S. District Court in Seattle also ordered Joseph Lavin to pay $11.6 million in restitution for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an investment fraud scheme.

Mr. Lavin, 42, operated Global Asset Partners LLC, and defrauded about $13 million from 176 investors, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

According to a separate but related lawsuit filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission against Mr. Lavin, about $1.8 million of his investors' money was wired without their knowledge to Wildflower Resort Co. The money was to be used for the startup of the $350 million lakeside resort on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie.

Wildflower and its owner, Raymond Goad, filed for bankruptcy in November 2006. A bankruptcy trustee is accepting bids for the plans for the resort; the deadline for bids is April 30.