DTD: Field and San Jacinto... What happened?

[BigT3x]

I park on the surface lots at Field and San Jacinto every weekday. Today is the first morning that I realized all four corners of this intersection are surface lots. Does anyone have any historical information as to what happened here? I assume there were buildings there at some point, but why were they all knocked down? Anyone know what used to be there?

Anyone who is ever worried about downtown running out of land needs to go and see the acres of desolate wasteland for themselves.

[Bhops]

There was a plan for a second Fountain Place. Perhaps that was supposed to go there?

[lakewoodhobo]

There was a plan for a second Fountain Place. Perhaps that was supposed to go there?

I believe the second Fountain Place would've gone just north of the current one and not part of the four lots discussed here (which I'm sure were all cleared in anticipation of the 1980s construction boom). One of the empty lots is owned by Tim Headington and would be perfect for mixed-use retail/residential anchored by a movie theater.

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[CTroyMathis]

Planned: "Ross Place", "Pacific Place", "Baptist General Convention Tower", and I don't know.

[mdg109]

I don't know which one is worse, these surface lots or the four blocks of surface parking bound by Elm and Pacific on the east side of downtown.

[Bhops]

One corner would be a perfect spot for outdoor sports complex...a la NYC style. Yes, the YMCA is still there, but it'd be cool to have outdoor tennis/handball/basketball facilities that were free of charge. Does the city own any of those lots?

[ChampionDallas]

One corner would be a perfect spot for outdoor sports complex...a la NYC style. Yes, the YMCA is still there, but it'd be cool to have outdoor tennis/handball/basketball facilities that were free of charge. Does the city own any of those lots?

I can definitely see what you are saying in another part of Dallas, but not here. This land can be built with higher density development than sporting courts.

[DowntownMustang]

One corner would be a perfect spot for outdoor sports complex...a la NYC style. Yes, the YMCA is still there, but it'd be cool to have outdoor tennis/handball/basketball facilities that were free of charge. Does the city own any of those lots?

Interesting question. I have heard rumors about the city buying up some of these lots so that they could begin to control the supply side. If there are none available, the value increases and parking lots are no longer a viable option for them.

[cowboyeagle05]

I can definitely see what you are saying in another part of Dallas, but not here. This land can be built with higher density development than sporting courts.

Well I wouldn't be so quick to say no since some the uses BHops is suggesting could be implemented at almost no cost and could be removed just as easily when a developer comes knocking. Kinda like the food truck/ trailer park that was proposed for the Arcadia site. The only thing that was holding them back was waiting on the city to put the right regulations back in place to allow them to run a food park on the property. In that case Trader Joes showed up faster than the city was able to adjust so that project has been scaled back to allow development.

[lakewoodhobo]

Interesting question. I have heard rumors about the city buying up some of these lots so that they could begin to control the supply side. If there are none available, the value increases and parking lots are no longer a viable option for them.

Well you're probably thinking about the recent downtown parks that were parking garages or lots in a previous life (Main Street Garden, Belo Garden and possibly Pegasus Plaza) and the city-owned lot that may or may not be Pacific Plaza in the future. There will be no more city-acquired lots in the foreseeable future, but the reduced supply of parking spaces caused by these parks should have a ripple effect on land values (along with their highest and best use).