Victory Park: Projects & Status

**rantanamo** · 23 February 2005, 11:59 PM

is that parcell blue fenced off as well

gc · 24 February 2005, 12:28 AM

Fashion Lift
Ort Varona’s newest store looks to score at Victory.
by Stephanie Quadri

Ort Varona may have started out with a career in counseling, but retail is his therapy. The psychology major turned entrepreneur thought Dallas lacked a store that catered to urban-chic adults, so he created Premium 93 and Octane, two of the hottest stores in the West Village. “We didn’t have a place to shop, so we created one,” Varona says.

But the 34-year-old is a little restless, so he’s expanding his arsenal of stores with the Lift Fashion Terminal in the Victory development, which will open in the spring of 2006. Located in the area around the American Airlines Center, Victory is backed by Ross Perot Jr.’s Hillwood and Tom Hicks’ Southwest Sports Realty and is well on its way to being one of the most significant urban developments in the country. Victory will boast a W Hotel, big-name restaurants and clubs such as Nine and Ghost Bar, extravagant residences, a public promenade, and other amenities.

Varona teamed up with investors such as Hillwood’s Jonas Woods to create a 20,000-square-foot “not-quite-boutique, not-quite-department-store” destination that will house some of the most sought-after designer merchandise in the world. Some of the names you can expect to see include Ted Baker, J.Lindeberg, Chip & Pepper, and—dare we say?—Prada. Lift will also have one of the best denim collections in town and will make custom jeans on-site. Mix that with airport design circa 1960s with German- and Japanese-influenced styles, personal appearances by designers, a cocktail lounge, and even an on-site fashion photographer, and you get a sense of Varona’s ambitions.

Could this be the next Barneys New York or LA’s Fred Segal? “It won’t be a cookie-cutter store; it’s a fresh look on retail,” he says. “Dallas is so forward and more willing to take risks than other cities, including Los Angeles or New York. We are the consumers for the next 40 years; our parents are over.”

**frankchitown** · 24 February 2005, 12:48 AM

Did I really just read that last post? Or is this some wonderful dream? I feel dizzy.

**msutton** · 24 February 2005, 12:53 AM

oh.... my.... god....

fantastic

**Texan#1** · 24 February 2005, 01:45 AM

This is great news for Dallas! it will definitely set itself apart from other cities with the opening of Lift.

**jsoto3** · 24 February 2005, 01:55 AM

The site which Barry speaks of is shaded in red in the attached image. I think it would make a great park/plaza once the empty sites in the lower right are developed. Access to/from Victory Station is also in the lower right. Imagine getting off the train at Victory Station, walking down a relatively narrow pedestrian promenade flanked by street level retail/cafes (with many floors of residential and office above), with just a sliver of a view of the full height of the W straight ahead, and then emerging into the park/plaza (surrounded on two sides by commerce) with the W, the Victory Tower, the AA Center, and the yet unannounced mixed-use tower project (my speculation) adjacent to Victory Station soaring above and around you. It could be a very compelling experience. In fact, I think it was slated for a park in earlier versions of the masterplan. As nice as a development could be there, I hope they hold out for a park/plaza.

**dallastophoenix** · 24 February 2005, 02:07 AM

a friend of mine (david galan) in LA makes high fashion leather purses for some celebrities and boutique shops all over the country (big clients here in dallas, too). His stuff would sell-out at this place!!! i'm so excited about this place!

**tamtagon** · 24 February 2005, 02:17 AM

Originally Posted by jsoto3

The site which Barry speaks of is shaded in red in the attached image. I think it would make a great park/plaza once the empty sites in the lower right are developed. Access to/from Victory Station is also in the lower right. Imagine getting off the train at Victory Station, walking down a relatively narrow pedestrian promenade flanked by street level retail/cafes (with many floors of residential and office above), with just a sliver of a view of the full height of the W straight ahead, and then emerging into the park/plaza (surrounded on two sides by commerce) with the W, the Victory Tower, the AA Center, and the yet unannounced mixed-use tower project (my speculation) adjacent to Victory Station soaring above and around you. It could be a very compelling experience. In fact, I think it was slated for a park in earlier versions of the masterplan. As nice as a development could be there, I hope they hold out for a park/plaza.

thanks for shading, the visuals really help.

The walk from the train station to the Museum of Nature and Science will also be a very compelling experience.

**rantanamo** · 24 February 2005, 02:25 AM

Dallas.....A compelling experience.

**barrycb** · 24 February 2005, 09:56 AM

drummy, the site has the same blue metal fencing around it that the two future Victory Plaza sites have. There would be no obvious reason to park the machine there when all the current activity is across the street. It's meant for some development, just not sure what. Looking on the Victory site, the space is almost as big as the Icon site.

**tamtagon** · 24 February 2005, 10:46 AM

I kinda like the way most of this phase of Victory is such a secret, with the press coming just before or during the groundbreaking. Like, everything else is publicized, then we wait for a couple months before anything happens. It adds excitement to the whole project.

**rantanamo** · 24 February 2005, 01:08 PM

Hopefully retailers were fighting to get into the Victory Plaza space and its video board, so Hillwood said, looks like we need a 3rd bulding and another big screen.. OK, daydreaming. I agree that a plaza would be nice there, but maybe the garage for Victory Plaza will be accessed from there.

**mikedsjr** · 24 February 2005, 01:52 PM

Looking at the W again....

What the? If you were to equate this to a housing developement, You would see a bunch of overly priced track homes that were very vanilla on the inside, built on overly adjacent to downtown. Not much architecture to it.

It reminds me of some really nice buildings I've seen in the area that have these "postmodern" lobbies that feel like a sterile hospitals. That's the exact feel I get from the video. Sterile Hospital Part II.

**dallastophoenix** · 24 February 2005, 02:05 PM

the hotel itself will be very cool on the inside. the condo units on the other hand definitely are overpriced for what you get. several friends looked at buying, but reconsidered after the "model" walk-thru. they were not impressed (apparently the model unit's construction was bland, fairly cheap, and they hated the ugly concrete pillars - that didn't look old, just unfinished. add to that you don't have actual floor to ceiling walls. too little for $500K).

My main concern for the W hotel rooms is that they'll be like the ones in san diego - TINY! nyc's time square is the same... waaaay too small room sizes. lthough i know it's more cost effective to get more people in there. you would just think after spending $200-300/night that you'd have more room to spread out.

i'm accustomed to the one in LA. i guess their westwood location spoils you (all-suites)...

**rantanamo** · 24 February 2005, 04:27 PM

doesn't matter. They're pretty much sold out.

**dallastophoenix** · 24 February 2005, 04:31 PM

that shows how bad people want to live down there...

**St-T** · 24 February 2005, 04:33 PM

I think the concept is really cool and very unique to Dallas. If I was dropping half a mil (or a lot more) I would pick Azure.

**texman** · 24 February 2005, 06:06 PM

Anybody think Victory will be renamed after its all up and going for 15 or so years? You know, Dallasites give it a personal name other than what Hillwood is calling it?

**St-T** · 24 February 2005, 06:08 PM

I think Victory is cool... especially w/ the AAC there.

**Tnekster** · 24 February 2005, 06:11 PM

People that love living in the middle of everything are going to love living in Victory.

**freewaytincan** · 24 February 2005, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by texman

Anybody think Victory will be renamed after its all up and going for 15 or so years? You know, Dallasites give it a personal name other than what Hillwood is calling it?

I doubt it.

**F4shionablecHa0s** · 24 February 2005, 07:28 PM

I think the name "Victory" is annoying and pretentious. I don't see the name sticking with people. The citizens as a whole will probably find some other name for the district or just call it "That place next to the AAC"

**rantanamo** · 24 February 2005, 07:41 PM

How about the Golden Triangle?

**Columbus Civil** · 24 February 2005, 07:44 PM

Like the mall in Denton?

**texman** · 24 February 2005, 07:45 PM

The Land of Oz.

**rantanamo** · 24 February 2005, 07:55 PM

Victory is fine. MAybe it sounds rich and pretentious because that's what they want.

**drumguy8800** · 24 February 2005, 07:56 PM

I like "Victory." And if we changed it, it would be a little difficult to find something else 'V-----' to call it.. given the entire V logo in the ground and the names of all the buildings and such. At least its unique to Dallas.

**texman** · 24 February 2005, 08:53 PM

My, how its changing. I think 7 years ago??

**Lakewooder** · 24 February 2005, 08:57 PM

Perot-Via ?

gc · 24 February 2005, 09:59 PM

^ Wow, big changes...and more to come! Thanks for the photo.

**St-T** · 24 February 2005, 11:50 PM

I forgot it looked so bad. Dallas is a changing city, kiddos... HANG ON! =)

**tamtagon** · 25 February 2005, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by F4shionablecHa0s

I think the name "Victory" is annoying and pretentious.

me too

**Kelley USA** · 25 February 2005, 10:12 AM

Man- what a wasteland... I forgot how bad it really used to be!

**Tralfaz** · 25 February 2005, 10:45 AM

It's looking like the AAC is going to be one of the most sucessful sports arena developments in the country. If all this stuff really gets completed, and looks as cool as the designs, I think the AAC project will be talked about nationally like Camden Yards in Baltimore.

It's funny, when the stadium vote debate in Arlington was going on I remember a lot of people saying, "Look at the AAC, they promised development and look at all the empty lots around it. Nothing has happened!"

**rantanamo** · 25 February 2005, 01:57 PM

Difference between the Cowboys location vs the AAC or Camden Yards is location itself. The 'natural' market forces of Uptown are pushing that way. Remember the articles talking about that Hillwood almost being forced to do something. Arlington will have a much harder time. They need the lots of corporate force to build a Legacy Town Center, which Jones and Hicks could actually provide, but will they or are both too invested in CoCo right now.

**mikedsjr** · 25 February 2005, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by F4shionablecHa0s

I think the name "Victory" is annoying and pretentious.

It doesn't suprise me that a positive sounding word is considered 'annoying' and 'pretentious'. Just goes to show the way the world really is. I'm sure more people would have loved it if it was called "Defeated" or "Assasination Station".

**St-T** · 25 February 2005, 02:36 PM

"Assassination Station" is what I was pulling for. LOL

I think Victory is cool and UNIQUE to Dallas... instead of Uptown, Midtown, etc.

**Tralfaz** · 25 February 2005, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by rantanamo

Difference between the Cowboys location vs the AAC or Camden Yards is location itself. The 'natural' market forces of Uptown are pushing that way. Remember the articles talking about that Hillwood almost being forced to do something. Arlington will have a much harder time. They need the lots of corporate force to build a Legacy Town Center, which Jones and Hicks could actually provide, but will they or are both too invested in CoCo right now.

Personally, I don't think the football stadium in Arlington will have near the same effect as the AAC. I just think it's funny that stadium opponents used the AAC as an example of it not working, when a couple months later it's looking like a perfect example of how it can work.

I think stadiums can be effective if they are part of a master plan for the area. If you look at the most successful stadium pojects across the country, they were part of a major plan to revitalize an area. When selling the AAC, they already had plans for the rest of the area. I don't think you can just build a stadium and assume that everyone will want to come be near it (like I think they're doing in Arlington). It needs to part of a greater plan. There are other factors that make the AAC deal look better than the Arlington, too, such as location, and existing transportation lines (30 already gets filled with just 30K Rangers fans, imagine 75K Cowboys fans). I also think it shouldn't be overlooked that the AAC gets 40 basketball games a year, and 40 hockey games, compared to just 8 games for the Cowboys stadium.

Anyways, I'm getting off topic. My original point was that once this thing is done, the AAC/Victory project could go down as one of the best projects Dallas has ever been a part of.

**rantanamo** · 25 February 2005, 05:35 PM

agreed on all points. My only AAC qualm is the current greed of the owners hockey and basketball.

Some are still saying, look at Victory. Nothing ever happened there. That's just hilarious I think. Its like the post on SSP said, "Dallas looks so dead, why don't they encourage urban living and build high rise condos and rail like Houston"

**mikedsjr** · 25 February 2005, 05:57 PM

I was skeptical that Victory would get going. But I'm sure it will become the elitist sanctuary of all people who can afford Bentleys and be filled with police kicking rednecks out of the area after games.

The Rangers are losers. They breed losing. They act like losers. They have a loser for an owner.

The Cowboys are winners. They breed controversy too. They certainly are popular as well as hated. Like any entrepeneur, Jerry Jones wants to make the Cowboys as visible as possible. And it certainly would not benefit him to have the Super Bowl in Arlington and not have something around there to show for it. But like many things in life, it doesn't mean it will happen that way.

I'm a Cowboy fan. I'm a Maverick fan. I care less about the developements around them. It happens it happens. All I care about are great places to watch my teams. That's it. I'll let those who live by those places care whether or not they have pig slop or martinis.

I think Dallas will eventually win on the Victory Deal. Its looking really positive.

**rantanamo** · 25 February 2005, 06:06 PM

Any municipality helping pay for these things better care. Arlington had better care. These venues sell voters on the fact that they will come with development. That's why it matters. These monies could be spent on other things.

**drycreek** · 26 February 2005, 07:43 AM

The Rangers are losers. They breed losing. They act like losers. They have a loser for an owner.

Easy there buster. That's my team you're talking about.

You WILL eat crow on this one. Mark my words.

**evdallas** · 01 March 2005, 09:37 PM

...

**St-T** · 01 March 2005, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by mikedsjr

I was skeptical that Victory would get going. But I'm sure it will become the elitist sanctuary of all people who can afford Bentleys and be filled with police kicking rednecks out of the area after games.

Bitter!!

**rantanamo** · 02 March 2005, 12:14 AM

They gotta live somewhere too.

**txRNGr** · 02 March 2005, 12:37 AM

anyone have picture updates of the W hotel tower? evdallas, I can see a portion of the tower in your picture with the outer walls going up...looks great! would really appreciate a pic of the whole tower.

Edit: sorry bout that, just got to excited about seeing the outer wall that I forgot to check the W Hotel thread

...thanks evdallas for the pic.