Tunnels - Reimagining Downtown Dallas

From http://YouPlusDallas.com - Assessing the Impact of Vincent Ponte's Tunnel System Plan on Downtown Dallas

Recently, Downtown Dallas Inc President & CEO John Crawford and DDI Board Chair Shelle Sills, hosted 1,500 guests at the DDI 2011 Annual Meeting held at the Fairmount Hotel. At the meeting, Crawford and consultants Daniel Eacofano and Chris Beynon presented the 360 plan highlighting some of the key elements such as proposed changes in downtown transit, the beautification of publc areas, the creation of a viable and active downtown residential neighborhood focused on affordable housing, and creating a more modern urban design to support street level retail businesses among other things. The plan represents a tremendous effort by DDI to create a plan to revitalize downtown Dallas.

In order to build a viable street level retail presence downtown requires, among other things, the systematic elimination of retail businesses in the tunnel system. There was a time when City fathers, looking for a way to stem the decline in the downtown Dallas business district, turned to Vincent Ponte, a Montreal-based planner. Ponte unveiled a master plan to create underground malls and walkways, introducing a massive amount of underground retail space serving a dwindling downtown population. The plan also included re-routing streets so that a commuter from the suburbs could enter an office building on one-way streets, eat, work and shop in the tunnels and then leave downtown via one-way streets. People embraced the tunnels, and what transpired was an acceleration in retail store and restaurant closings.

Retail real estate broker Jack Gosnell was on hand when Ponte presented his audacious plan and describes the unintended consequences that accelerated the decline of downtown Dallas. Gosnel is a terrific storyteller, and he does not disappoint here. He also correctly points out that the tunnels are part of us - we created them. So what do we do with the tunnels in the context of the 360 plan? Can the tunnels play in the revitalization of downtown Dallas? We welcome your comments.

See more at http://www.youplusdallas.com/

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Vincent Ponte
• Tunnel System Plan
• Downtown Dallas
• John Crawford
• Shelle Sills
• Fairmount Hotel
• Daniel Eacofano
• Chris Beynon
• Jack Gosnell
• revatilize downtown
• youplusdallas
• you+dallas
• you pl us dallas

[xvote]

The right answer to dealing with the tunnels is probably the most difficult one. Start closing down the shops slowly, as businesses leave, don't bring in anymore so that retail on street level can grow. You will have to subsidize some of the cash loss for the property owner until such time the street level retail is vibrant. Then, re purpose the tunnels for something that's needed. All of that could take ten years and more money than most would be willing to stomach.

[MrDirkDaring]

I don't think tunnels are to blame. Toronto and Montreal have far larger downtown tunnel systems with far more retail in the tunnels, yet their downtowns are both stronger than ever. Toronto's main tunnel system (PATH) has nearly 5 million square feet of retail. Yet there is even more retail than that in downtown Toronto that is NOT in the PATH.

[Liveroli18]

This shit was awesome

[bennie4014]

When I moved to Dallas in 1980 my first job was at One Main Place. I've always wondered why downtown Dallas became a ghost town at 6pm. Now I think I understand why.

[texasboy5680]

@MrDirkDaring ummm...you are failing to realize that the population if Downtown Toronto....just downtown only is 200,000 ppl....ours is 10,000 ppl....so your comparison is very very flawed and makes no sense whats so ever.... downtown Toronto has enough critical mass to pull of a 3 dimensional downtown like that..ground, above, and below. Downtown Dallas cant even fill one.... therefore to fill one dimension U HAVE TO CLOSE THE OTHER.

[pargonpargon]

First, this paints paint Vincent Ponte as a foreigner and a con-man, almost a snake-oil salesman. Then, this puts ALL of the economic decline on the shoulders of the tunnels. You mean to say that the Dallas economy is so fragile that a few thousand feet of tunnels is enough to crumble it? Economies are not such simple creatures. While tunnels may not be right for Dallas, this video is *blatant* propaganda.

[sesshora44]

that's what city council gets for listening to some French guy from Montreal and Toronto

[antonseim]

Really pleased that you guys are putting out this good media. Fascinating video.