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GOOD AFTERNOON. IT IS NOW 2:31 P.M. ON MARCH 23RD, AND I AM OPENING THE MEETING OF THE SPECIAL
[Special Called Transportation and Infrastructure on March 23, 2026.]
CALLED TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING POSTED FOR THIS TIME.IS THERE A MOTION MOVE TO APPROVE? ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE WILL TAKE UP, WE'RE SKIPPING FORWARD TO ITEM B, A SUMMARY OF THE DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT STRATEGIC FUNDING PLAN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
CITY MANAGER DEBORAH STOGIE AND JAKE ANDERSON, WELCOME TO THE PODIUM.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR RIDLEY, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS DEBORAH STOGIE. I'M AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU IS THE DART STRATEGIC FUNDING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. WE SUBMITTED A MEMO THAT LAYS OUT THE PROVISIONS OF WHAT'S IN THE ILA AS WELL AS THE FUNDING FRAMEWORK AND WE HAVE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE KIND OF THE NEXT STEPS OF THE PROCESS, WHICH WOULD BE THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL ON MARCH 25TH AND WITH THAT, WE'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS.
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER RASTOGI, COULD YOU JUST GIVE A LITTLE CONTEXT FOR THIS AGREEMENT? WHAT IT RESULTED FROM WHAT IT RESOLVES? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WAS A RESULT OF 6 MONTHS WORTH OF MEETINGS BETWEEN DART AND THE CITY MANAGERS OF THE 13 MEMBER CITIES. WHAT WE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU WAS A GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK AND THIS IS THE 2ND PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS CENTERED AROUND FUNDING AND A FUNDING MODEL THAT WILL ALLOW CITIES TO STAY WITHIN THE DART SYSTEM. AND COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS TO THE CITY OF DALLAS OF ENTERING INTO THE ILA. WELL, YES, THE BENEFITS TO THE CITY OF DALLAS IS THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DART ON SPECIFIC TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT WOULD BENEFIT BOTH TRANSIT AND THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE HAVE AN ACTIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM. THIS IS A PORTION OF THE FUNDING COMES FROM A PORTION OF THE FUNDING COMES FROM DART AND ANOTHER PORTION OF THE FUNDING WILL COME FROM THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS? MISS MENDELSOHN.
CAN YOU GO THROUGH WHAT COMPLIMENTARY TRANSPORTATION SERVICES MEAN? I SEE THERE'S A DEFINITION ON PAGE 2 OF THE ILA, BUT CAN YOU GO THROUGH THAT? LET ME LET ME PULL THAT UP SO I HAVE A COPY OF THE DEFINITION HANDY.
WELL HERE, I'LL READ IT TO YOU, AND THEN I CAN ASK YOU MY QUESTIONS PART BY PART.
UNDERSTOOD. BE MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
UNDERSTOOD. SEE ASSISTANCE IN STREET MODIFICATIONS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE OR AS NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
SO CAN WE STOP AT THAT1 AND CAN YOU CLARIFY OR I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE CLARIFIED WHETHER THAT'S ONLY FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, MEANING WHAT IF IT'S A STREET THAT LEADS TO A CORRIDOR WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY ON AN EXISTING ROUTE? AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
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IDENTIFYING THOSE POTENTIAL PROJECTS I THINK.OUR INTENT IS TO WORK ON WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE CRITICAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THEN USE AS BROAD A DEFINITION AS WE CAN TO TO SEE IF WE CAN ALIGN THOSE PROJECTS WITH THIS FUNDING.
IF THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY ON THEIR BUS OR TRAIN ROUTE.
I THINK THAT THAT THE CITY WILL BE WORKING ON DEVELOPING WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE RELEVANT, ELIGIBLE PROJECTS THAT FIT WITHIN THIS DEFINITION. AND WILL THAT BE DART STAFF OR THE DART BOARD THAT'S APPROVING IT? I BELIEVE IT'S THE DART BOARD. OKAY. CAN WE GET CLARIFICATION? YES, WE HAVE THE CHAIR OF THE DART BOARD PRESENT HERE.
RANDALL BRYANT, WOULD YOU CARE TO COME DOWN AND ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? AND THEN I'M NOT DONE WITH THE SPECIFYING WHETHER A PROJECT BECOMES ELIGIBLE OR NOT ELIGIBLE IF IT'S NOT ON THE BUS LINE, BUT IT'S LEADING TOWARDS IT.
IF YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE QUESTION AND CURRENT DATE DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN FUTURE DATE.
SO IF THE RATIONALE IS A FUTURE CORRIDOR FOR A BUS ROUTE COULD NOT AND THEN THE INVERSE, WHAT'S A ROUTE TODAY? NOT NECESSARILY WOULD BE A ROUTE TOMORROW.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S BEST TO ONLY LOOK AT PRESENT DAY AS THE RATIONALE FOR WHY A, A PROJECT SHOULD BE OR NOT SHOULD BE ONLY BECAUSE OF PRESENT DAY. WELL, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. THE PROBLEM IS, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE DEFINED CLEARLY IN HERE SO THAT IT'S NOT SUBJECTIVE AND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS THAT SUBJECTIVE. LOOK ON, WELL, IT DEPENDS ON THIS, IT DEPENDS ON THAT BUT THAT PUTS US IN A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION AS OPPOSED TO SAYING, WELL, AS LONG AS IT'S WITHIN A QUARTER MILE OF A BUS ROUTE LINE OR A STATION OR WITHIN A HALF MILE.
I MEAN, THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF OBJECTIVE CRITERIA AS OPPOSED TO, WELL, WE DON'T WE DON'T LIKE THIS COUNCIL MEMBER WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT PROJECT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. EXCUSE ME. AND JUST TO KIND OF POINT OUT DART HAS REALLOCATED NEARLY A BEFORE THIS FUNDING AGREEMENT, A HALF $1 BILLION TO ALL 13 CITIES OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS AND OF THE MOST RECENT ONE, THE PTI IN PARTICULAR, WHICH WAS ABOUT 200 MILLION FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE HAVE NOT DENIED ANY PROJECT THAT'S EVER COME FORWARD, SO I THINK AS LONG AS IT'S ALIGNING WITH OUR SHARED GOALS AND PRIORITIES AND IN PARTICULAR Y'ALL'S PRIORITIES, AS YOU SUBMITTED TO US, WE'VE HAD A PERFECT TRACK RECORD OF APPROVING EVERY PROJECT YOU'VE SUBMITTED TO US.
WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT IN WRITING, AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A MODIFICATION TO THIS ILA TO BE VERY SPECIFIC AND HAVE MORE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT CLEAR. THE 2ND QUESTION I HAVE FOR STAFF IS THIS THE ESTIMATED DOLLAR ALLOCATION? THIS IS ON PAGE 1 OF THE MEMO.
ARE YOU ANTICIPATING THIS WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THE DOLLARS THAT COME FROM OUR GENERAL FUND AND BOND, OR ARE YOU ASSUMING THAT YOU WOULD USE THAT TO OFFSET SOME OF THOSE FUNDS THAT WE TRADITIONALLY ALLOCATE FOR THAT? YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE WORKING ON OUR BUDGET AND AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO FUND THE IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. AND AS YOU'VE POINTED OUT, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS ARE GENERAL FUNDS.
I KNOW OUR DIRECTOR DOES A GREAT JOB OF LEVERAGING ALL KINDS OF FUNDING TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT WE HAVE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR AND SO YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET ESTABLISHED FOR NEXT YEAR AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU GUYS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SETTING THAT BUDGET AND SETTING THE BUDGET PRIORITIES.
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WELL, I'D LIKE TO JUST GIVE THIS INPUT, WHICH IS THAT OUR STREETS ARE IN TERRIBLE CONDITION AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS IN ADDITION TO NOT TO OFFSET, MEANING WE SHOULD NOT REDUCE EVEN $1 WHAT WE SPEND RIGHT NOW ON REPAIRING OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES.SO I'M HOPING THAT THESE ARE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT ARE NEEDED.
AND I THINK WE'VE ALREADY BEEN UNDERFUNDING IT.
THANK YOU. MR. ROTH. THANK YOU. JUST A CLARIFICATION FOR ME.
ALSO THE THE AMOUNTS IN THE MEMO THAT ARE REFLECTED FOR THE $211 MILLION OVER THE THE 5 YEARS, THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT ARE COMING TO US AS A AS A MATTER OF OUR ALLOCATION OF THE SALES TAX THAT'S ALREADY BEING ANTICIPATED PUTTING IN.
IS THAT CORRECT? WHERE'S THAT MONEY COMING FROM? SO, SO. HI. JAKE ANDERSON, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE TABLE THE 1ST 2 YEARS, THOSE ARE ALREADY A GUARANTEED AMOUNT BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING 2 YEARS BACK AND THEN THE NEXT 4 YEARS ARE PROJECTED BASED ON WHAT WE ASSUME THE SALES TAX WILL BE.
OKAY. SO THOSE ARE BASICALLY PROJECTIONS BASED ON, ON ANTICIPATED THE $0.01 SALES TAX ALLOCATION INTO DART AND THEN TO FOLLOW UP ON COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSOHN QUESTION IS THE $75 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED BY THE RTC. THE RTC IS THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT'S ON TOP OF THIS, OR IS THAT PART OF THIS OF THESE FUNDS THAT ARE BEING ALLOCATED? THAT'S 75 MILLION HAS INCORPORATED INTO THESE THESE PROJECTIONS.
OKAY. SO SO IT'S REALLY THIS, SO THERE'S NOT ANY NEW MONEY ON TOP OF THIS MONEY.
THIS IS BASICALLY AN ALLOCATION OF MONIES THAT WE WERE ALREADY PAID INTO AND WERE GETTING ALLOWED TO USE THEN FOR OTHER TRANSPORTATION FUNCTIONS AND THE DETAILS THAT WERE IN THE ILA.
CORRECT. IT ALSO SAYS THAT AS A CONDITION OF THIS PROVISION THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PREVENTED FROM GOING BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE ASKING FOR CHANGES IN THE ALLOCATION OF THE $0.01 SALES TAX PAYMENT AS A, IN A COURT IN AGREEMENT OF THIS.
YES. AND DOES IT ALSO APPLY TO THE OUTSIDE DART FOLKS THAT WERE GETTING THE $105 MILLION FROM THE RTC? OR IS THAT A SEPARATE SITUATION THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS? CORRECT. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US. AND JUST TO CLARIFY YOUR FIRST THING, I DON'T THINK YOU IMPLIED IT, BUT IT DOESN'T PREVENT YOU FROM SEEKING ANY CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS.
IT JUST EXCLUDES YOU FROM FUTURE PAYMENTS WITHIN THE ILA AND IT.
YOU MUST REIMBURSE US FOR THE MONEY THAT WE DID PAY.
SO YEAH. SO IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU DO GO ASK FOR A CHANGE, YOU FORFEIT.
THEN YOU FORFEIT YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT AGAIN.
OKAY. IT'S BASICALLY A YEAH. PREVENTS THAT. OKAY.
AND AND THIS IS YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S MY, THIS THIS AGREEMENT NEEDS TO BE RATIFIED BEFORE APRIL 30TH. CORRECT.
AND SO WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF THE RATIFICATION FOR ALL THE OTHER ENTITIES, THE OTHER CITIES AND STUFF? DOES EVERYBODY HAVE TO AGREE TO IT? HOW DOES THIS WORK? SO IT'S CITY BY CITY. SO CITIES HAVE THE OPTION TO, TO ENTER INTO THE ILA.
THIS, THIS BODY WILL GET A CHANCE TO CONSIDER IT ON THE MARCH 25TH AGENDA.
SO 2 DAYS FROM NOW AND OTHER CITIES HAVE ALREADY ENTERED INTO THE ILA, AND THAT INCLUDES PLANO, IRVING FARMERS BRANCH AND ROWLETT. WE'RE ANTICIPATING CARROLLTON, COCKRELL HILL, GLENN HEIGHTS AND RICHARDSON TO FOLLOW SUIT BEFORE THE APRIL 30TH DATE.
YES. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE 3 THAT HAVE CALLED PULL OUT ELECTIONS AND THOSE ELECTIONS ARE IN MAY.
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IS THAT WHAT THAT IS? YES. AND IF THEY DON'T WITHDRAW AS A RESULT OF THE ELECTION, IS THERE AN OBLIGATION FOR THEM TO CONTINUE OR TO TO HAVE A RATIFICATION OF THIS ALSO OR THEY'RE OUT? NO, THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE PER THE CONDITIONS OF THE ILA.YEAH. THROUGH THE 7TH THROUGH THE 5TH YEAR? I MEAN, THE 3D THROUGH THE 5TH YEARS.
YEAH, THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. MISS CADENA [INAUDIBLE] AND CHAIR BRYANT, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK. I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A BIG, YOU KNOW, TEAM EFFORT THAT Y'ALL ALL WORKED TOGETHER JAKE, I KNOW WHEN I WAS AT NLC THIS WEEKEND, I HAD A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM OTHER CITIES COME UP AND JUST COMPLIMENT THE WORK OF EVERYBODY TO TRY TO GET THIS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT TO GO, OF COURSE. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
I KNOW CITY MANAGER TOLBERT ALSO WAS A REALLY BIG PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS? I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW UP.
ANYONE ELSE WHO HASN'T HAD A CHANCE YET? OKAY, GO AHEAD, MISS MENDELSOHN.
THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE 1 ON THIS RETURN OF THE SALESTAX.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU HAVE SAID THIS IN YOUR ANSWER JUST LEADS ME TO ASK THIS QUESTION.
WHEN IT'S RETURN OF SALES TAX, SO WE SHOULD ASSUME THIS IS TOTALLY GENERAL FUNDS UNRESTRICTED OR IS THERE ACTUAL OR IS THIS ACTUALLY FEDERAL FUNDS? AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE EXTRA PROCESS WHOEVER. I ACTUALLY AM NOT LOOKING AT YOU. I'M SORRY.
FUNDS. WE, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING SIMILAR TO THE PTI DOLLARS, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING TO HAVE TO PUT SOME RESTRICTIONS ON THAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY DO WITH RESPECT TO FEDERAL FUNDING. AND NADINE, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? JUST A SLIGHT CORRECTION. THESE ARE LOCAL SALES TAX REVENUES.
SO THERE ARE NO FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE REVENUES.
AND IS THAT WRITTEN ANYWHERE IN THE ILA? I DIDN'T SEE IT, BUT.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE CLARIFIED BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY WOULD IMPACT THE TIMELINESS OF GETTING PROJECTS DONE AND SINCE THERE IS A CLOCK ON THE DOLLARS I THINK THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE FOLLOW UPS? ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. I HAVE A QUESTION, A LOGISTICAL 1.
WOULD THIS TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY SUCH THAT WE WOULD HAVE UNTIL JUNE 30TH OF 2026 TO SUBMIT OUR LIST OF PROJECTS? YES, THAT IS CORRECT. IT WOULD WE WOULD SUBMIT OUR PROJECTS.
JUNE 30TH, 2026 AND THE DOLLARS WOULD WOULD BE DISBURSED OCTOBER 1ST, 2026.
OKAY. AND WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
YES. THIS WOULD MOVE INTO THE 2027 BUDGET, IT WOULD NOT BE BUDGET DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR 2026.
OKAY. IS THERE ANY SHARING OR LOCAL PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENT FOR THESE PROJECTS? OR CAN WE PROPOSE A PROJECT THAT WOULD BE FULLY FUNDED BY THE GMP? I DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY RESTRICTIONS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE WOULD SUBMIT OUR ELIGIBLE PROJECTS AND SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PTI FUNDS.
WE IDENTIFY PROJECTS AND THOSE PROJECTS ARE FULLY FUNDED BY THOSE PTI DOLLARS FOR THE MOST PART.
SO WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM A, WHICH IS THE KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON CONVENTION CENTER MASTER PLAN. THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT STUDY AND RECOMMENDATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON. ROSA FLEMING, DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION AND EVENT SERVICES.
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SO TODAY WE ARE COMING BACK, WE BRIEFED YOU IN JANUARY ABOUT THE OVERALL UPDATE FOR COMPONENT 1 OR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION. AND WE SAID AT THAT TIME THAT WE WOULD COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE VIADUCT, THE HOMEWORK THAT WE'VE DONE TO PROVIDE AND RECOMMEND SOME OPTIONS IN ORDER TO RETOOL THE VIADUCT GIVEN THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE PROGRAM AND GROUND PLANE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER. AND SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO DO THAT, I HAVE WITH ME SEVERAL STAFF.AND GUS KHANKARLI, THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, IS HERE WITH US AS WELL, ALONG WITH INSPIRE DALLAS AND PART OF OUR DESIGN TEAM.
AND SO I'LL START WITH IF WE'LL GO TO PAGE 3, JUST KIND OF SOME OF THE DESIGN OBJECTIVES BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO OUR CONSULTANTS TO WALK YOU THROUGH QUICKLY, THROUGH AND BRIEFLY THROUGH THE DESIGNS THAT WE HAVE CONSIDERED AND THE CONCEPTS THAT WE'VE CONSIDERED TO NARROW IT DOWN AS WE WALK THROUGH.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, PARAMOUNT WAS OBVIOUSLY SAFETY.
WE LOOK TO AT THE GREENWAY CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUNG STREET UNION STATION AND THEN OUR FUTURE MOBILITY HUB THAT WILL BE UNDERNEATH THE CONVENTION CENTER. WE ARE AND CONTINUE TO STUDY TRAFFIC GROWTH.
WE'RE WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH DIRECTOR KEN CARLEY AND HIS TEAM AND SUPPORTING THE DESIGN, THE FORM AND FUNCTION OF THE CURRENT DESIGN FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE COST SCHEDULE, DISRUPTION TO ABUTTING PROPERTIES, AND THEN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EXTERNAL PARTIES.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO CARLOS AGUILAR WITH INSPIRED DALLAS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS AND WHAT WE DID TO GET TO THE RECOMMENDATION WE'RE BRINGING FORTH.
THANK YOU ROSA. AND AS SUE WAS SAYING, THE THE ROLE THAT WE'VE PLAYED IS DEVELOPED CONCEPTUAL LEVEL ASSESSMENTS OF VARIOUS OPTIONS AND LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS IMPACTS IT HAS THAT THESE HAVE WITH RESPECT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER AND VICINITY, AS WELL AS OTHER INITIATIVES THAT TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR YEARS NOW. IN TERMS OF PLANNING PROCESS, WITH THIS, YOU WILL SEE ON PAGE 6 THAT THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE STUDIED.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD TURN IT OVER TO CLAYTON TO DRIVE US THROUGH THOSE AND OF COURSE, THE SELECTED CONCEPT OF THE CITY IS INTERESTED IN PURSUING. THANK YOU. CARLOS. AGAIN, MY NAME IS CLAYTON LANE.
I'M WITH THE WITH THE PROJECT TEAM HERE, MOBILITY PLANNER.
I WILL START ON SLIDE 4, WHICH SHOWS THE FUTURE CONDITION OF THE PLANNED ROADWAY NETWORK INDEPENDENT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER WITH THE FOOTPRINT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER OVERLAID ON THAT. AND I THINK IT HIGHLIGHTS A FEW IMPORTANT THINGS.
I WANTED TO POINT OUT THE HOUSTON VIADUCT GREENWAY AS A REMINDER THAT IS PLANNED IN THE CITY'S PLANS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY SOUTH OF THE TRINITY RIVER TO CONVERT THE HOUSTON VIADUCT INTO A FUTURE GREENWAY AND THEN PUT TRAFFIC ENTIRELY ON THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT.
SO YOU'LL SEE THERE IN THE DIAGRAMS. JEFFERSON VIADUCT HAS 4 LANES, BUT 2 LANES NORTHBOUND, 2 LANES SOUTHBOUND. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE MAP, CLEARLY, THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT WHERE IT IS TODAY IT WOULD CONFLICT STRUCTURALLY, PHYSICALLY WITH THE PHYSICAL ENVELOPE OF THE FUTURE BUILDING.
THAT FUTURE BUILDING IS LAID OUT IN SUCH A WAY TO ENSURE A CONTINUOUS LARGE EXHIBIT HALL ON THAT 1ST FLOOR ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, WHICH WE UNDERSTAND IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR SELLING SPACE AND REALLY BRINGING A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THAT LEVEL IS ALSO AT ABOUT THE SAME ELEVATION AS THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT.
SO THAT IS THE CONFLICT OF SPACE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RESOLVE IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT FEATURE OF OF THAT GROUND FLOOR IN A MAJOR EGRESS EVENT.
YOU KNOW, HAVING 3 EGRESS POINTS POINTING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS TO DIFFERENT ROADWAYS.
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SO ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, WHAT YOU'LL FIND IS JUST THE SHORT LIST, WHICH CARLOS REFERRED TO.THE 1ST OPTION ON THE LEFT IS THE ONE WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT.
IT'S SORT OF THE BASE DO NOTHING OPTION IN TERMS OF OF THE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE WHICH WE CAN CALL CONNECTING TO HOTEL STREET.
SO WE CAN BRING THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT DOWN TO HOTEL AND CONNECT IT INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
2ND, WE CAN FIND MORE CREATIVE WAYS TO GO THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER WITH LESS IMPACT.
AND 3RD, WE CAN GO AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT MANY MORE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAN EVEN ON EVEN ON THIS PAGE BUT JUST TO START THERE WITH WHAT'S CALLED SCENARIO ONE A, THAT'S CONNECTING TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, THAT'S THE CONCEPT THERE IS TO BRING THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT DOWN TO GRADE.
SO IT WOULD COME DOWN TO HOTEL STREET AND CONNECT.
TRAFFIC WOULD GO AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER VIA HOTEL AND REUNION IF IT'S COMING ON THIS ROUTE.
NOW THERE ARE OTHER ROUTES I-30, I-35, BUT ON THIS ROUTE THAT'S HOW IT WOULD WORK.
THIS WOULD RETAIN THE PLANNED GREENWAY ON THE HOUSTON VIADUCT DIRECTLY INTO THE UNION STATION AREA, AND WOULD PROVIDE A NEW CONNECTION FROM THAT GREENWAY INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER TO CONNECT TO DART LIGHT RAIL.
THE FUTURE GREEN SPACE THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED INTO HOTELS AND SUCH ON THE FRONT SIDE AS WELL.
SO THAT'S THAT CONCEPT THERE AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A SIMPLE CONCEPT.
IT KEEPS THE VIADUCT OUT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THERE ARE SOME TRAFFIC STUDIES THAT NEED TO BE DONE, BUT OVERALL IT'S FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE NEXT OPTION HERE, WHICH WE CALL SCENARIO 3 IS GOING THROUGH.
THIS OPTION, WHICH WE FELT WAS THE BEST OF ALL.
THOSE WOULD AGAIN BRING THAT JEFFERSON VIADUCT DOWN TO GRADE, BUT NOW CONTINUE IT THROUGH WHAT'S CURRENTLY THE MEMORIAL UNDERPASS AND TURN LEFT AND STILL CONNECT IT TO MARKET STREET AS IT DOES TODAY BUT INSTEAD OF DOING IT VIA AN ELEVATED VIADUCT, IT WOULD IT WOULD DO IT BY DIVING DOWN AND COMING BACK UP.
NOW, THAT MEMORIAL UNDERPASS IS ROUGHLY 14FT LOWER THAN GRADE, AND SO IT TAKES QUITE SOME LINEAR DISTANCE FOR THE GRADE, FOR THE THE ROADWAY TO COME BACK UP TO GRADE AND SO INSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE WOULD HAVE AN OPEN CUT THROUGH MUCH OF THAT GROUND FLOOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AS YOU CAN SEE, ALTHOUGH THIS WOULD PROVIDE A DIRECT CONNECTION FOR TRAFFIC, IT WOULD HAVE VERY SIGNIFICANT GROUND FLOOR IMPACTS BIFURCATING MUCH OF THE GROUND FLOOR INTO TWO PARTS.
AND SO THAT WOULD MEAN THE MOBILITY HUB NEEDS TO BE SMALLER BY A 3RD TO HALF, AS MUCH SMALLER AND THAT MEANS WHEN YOU HAVE THAT BIG BALLROOM EVENT THAT'S EGRESSING, IT'S GOING TO TAKE LONGER. SO PERHAPS INSTEAD OF 30 MINUTES, IT TAKES 45 MINUTES TO GET OUT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ALSO THE STRUCTURAL GRID HERE, OUR ENGINEERS TOLD US IT WOULD BE, IT'S CHALLENGING TO HAVE A RECTILINEAR STRUCTURAL GRID INTERFACE OR INTEGRATE WITH A CURVED ROADWAY LIKE THIS.
AND THE ROADWAY HERE WOULD USE THAT ENTRY POINT OF THE MEMORIAL UNDERPASS.
SO YOU COULD NOT USE THAT TO ACCESS THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF.
YOU WOULD LOSE THAT ACCESS POINT FROM THE SOUTH SIDE.
SO THOSE ARE BOTH THE PLUSES OF DIRECT ACCESS AND SOME OF THE NEGATIVES AS WELL.
AND FINALLY GOING AROUND ON THE FAR RIGHT. NOW, THIS IS A VERY CREATIVE OPTION THAT REALLY TRIES TO ACHIEVE A LOT, BUT ALSO WOULD END UP WITH A LOT OF COST AND SOME UNCERTAIN TRAFFIC IMPACTS AND LAND IMPACTS AS WELL BUT WHAT THIS CONCEPT IS, IT'S KIND OF A MIX OF, OF THE BEST OF, OF EACH.
THE CONCEPT WE TRY TO BRING THAT JEFFERSON VIADUCT DOWN TO GRADE.
ALSO PROVIDE AN OPTION TO CONTINUE INTO DOWNTOWN DIRECTLY VIA THE HOUSTON VIADUCT BY CAR AND IT WOULD BRING THE GREENWAY DOWN TO GRADE AS WELL AT HOTEL STREET AND SO YOU COULD GO LEFT OR RIGHT TO GET TO UNION STATION OR COME THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
BUT THE GREENWAY HAS TO GO AROUND. NOW, THIS WOULD BE A POTENTIALLY COSTLY OPTION.
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YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 2 VIADUCTS IN THIS CASE.ALSO, IT WOULD CONFLICT WITH THE REUNION GARAGE WHERE IT IS TODAY.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO EITHER TEAR DOWN THAT GARAGE OR AT LEAST THE TOP PORTION OF THAT.
IT'S UNCERTAIN WHETHER TRAFFIC WOULD SPLIT IN THE SAME WAY OR IF YOU'D END UP WITH SOME CONGESTION.
SO THOSE ARE THE 3 LEADING ALTERNATIVES IN THE SHORT LIST.
HERE ARE THE 4 OPTIONS THAT WE JUST LOOKED AT AND ACROSS THE TOP ARE THE EVALUATION CRITERIA.
ALSO THAT UNDERPASS, THE CEREMONIAL, AS I DESCRIBED WITH HAVE SOME MAJOR IMPACTS, BUT THE CITY'S PREFERRED OPTION IS WHAT'S CALLED SCENARIO 1.A THAT'S THAT SIMPLE ONE THAT JUST BRINGS THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT DOWN THE GRADE AND WOULD NOT HAVE ANY ANY MEANINGFUL GROUND FLOOR IMPACTS IN TERMS OF THE GREENWAY.
SCENARIO 1.A AS WELL WOULD BOTH CONNECT THAT GREENWAY INTO UNION STATION AND PROVIDE A LINK FOR THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER, SO IT WOULD PERFORM WELL THERE BETTER THAN SOME OTHER OPTIONS.
TRAFFIC IS UNCERTAIN. THE CITY IS PLANNING TO CONDUCT A FULL TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT, AND THAT TIA WILL INFORM TRAFFIC IN ALL OF THE OPTIONS. AND SO WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AND THEN FINALLY FEASIBILITY.
SO OVERALL, THE CITY IS LEANING TOWARD SCENARIO 1.A FOR THE REASONS STATED ON THAT EVALUATION.
JUST TO LOOK AT IT A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY. SLIDE 7.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE YOU CAN SEE THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FEASIBILITY DRAWING.
WE DIDN'T TRY TO DRAW EVERY EVERY DETAIL OF THIS, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS FEASIBLE TO SAFELY BRING THAT VIADUCT DOWN TO GRADE. ACCORDING TO TXDOT AND DALLAS STANDARDS FOR THOROUGHFARES AND FOR VIADUCTS LIKE THIS ONE AND IT IS, YOU CAN SEE HERE STARTING THAT DOWNGRADE BASICALLY OVER STEMMONS WITHOUT ANY CONSTRUCTION OVER I-35, THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT COULD COME TO GRADE AT A MAXIMUM 6% GRADE.
BEFORE YOU GET TO THAT INTERSECTION AT HOTEL STREET, THERE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE OVER SPORTS STREET 23FT AT A MINIMUM, TO MAINTAIN ONGOING ACCESS THERE. OF COURSE, THAT LINK OF MEMORIAL DRIVE WOULD BE DISPLACED, BUT WE WOULD REPLACE IT WITH THE OTHER ROADWAY DESCRIBED THROUGH LOT E.
AND FINALLY THE LAST SLIDE HERE. YEAH. GO AHEAD AND BACK TO ROSA FOR THE LAST SLIDE.
THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU CLAYTON FOR THAT. AND IF WE COULD GO TO THE LAST SLIDE PLEASE.
THE NEXT STEPS. SO ON HERE WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, AS I SAID, IN COORDINATION WITH DIRECTOR KEN CARLEY'S TEAM AND TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, AND WILL SUBMIT 6 THOROUGHFARE AMENDMENT APPLICATIONS WHERE WE RECOMMEND CHANGES TO THE DALLAS CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT STREETS AND VEHICULAR CIRCULATION PLAN.
WE'LL DO THAT BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH AND START TO DO THE ALL OF THE ENGAGEMENT AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED AS WE GO THROUGH THAT AN INDEPENDENT TRAFFIC STUDY, AS CLAYTON MENTIONED, IS GOING TO BE UNDERWAY THROUGH HNTB THROUGH DIRECTOR KEN CARLEY'S DEPARTMENT AND THEN WE'LL COORDINATE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AS WE CONTINUE WITH ALL OF THE STEPS NECESSARY TO GO THROUGH AMENDMENT COMMITTEE AND CPC, ETC.. SO WITH THAT, WE ARE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.
I'M GOING TO START ON MY RIGHT. VICE CHAIR ROTH.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. I NEED TO JUST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
THE THE JEFFERSON THE HOUSTON STREET VIADUCT IS CONTEMPLATED TO BECOME A GREEN SPACE AND IT'S A, IT'S GOING TO ONLY BE A PEDESTRIAN SITUATION.
AND THEN THE JEFFERSON IS GOING TO BE AN ACTUAL VEHICLE SPACE.
[00:35:04]
AND IN YOUR DRAWING, YOUR YOUR PREFERRED SCENARIO, YOU'RE SHOWING THAT THE GREEN SPACE WOULD COME OFF OF HOTEL STREET AND COME ON UNDERNEATH THE BUILDING AND CONTINUE UNDERNEATH THE BUILDING.SO THERE'D BE A PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY UNDERNEATH THE BUILDING TO TO LAMAR.
THAT IS CORRECT. IN ADDITION TO THE GREENWAY ON HOUSTON.
I'M SORRY. YES. THAT'S CORRECT. IN ADDITION TO THE GREENWAY ON HOUSTON, WHICH WOULD CONTINUE TO UNION STATION AND THE AND THE JEFFERSON STREET WOULD JUST SORT OF DEAD END INTO THE PROPERTY THEN. CORRECT. AND THAT WOULD BE.
CORRECT. YES. OKAY. AND SO AND THAT'S AN UNDERGROUND THAT'S BASICALLY UNDERNEATH THE BUILDING.
THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT WOULD BE AT GRADE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
BUT IS THERE IS THERE. RAIL LINES? IS THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT UTILITY LINES? IS THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OTHER ISSUES THAT WOULD IMPACT REROUTING THE PEDESTRIAN, RAISE THE ROADWAYS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AT GRADE LEVEL OR UNDERNEATH THAT WOULD IMPACT THE BUILDING OR THE, THE CONNECTION TO THAT. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT UTILITIES ISSUES THERE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THAT MEMORIAL UNDERPASS EXISTS TODAY AND SO THE SAME STRUCTURE WOULD BE USED.
AND THEREFORE WE'RE EXPECTING THERE WOULD NOT BE UTILITY DISRUPTIONS THERE.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS AT OR ABOVE GRADE. AND IS THERE IS THERE A RAIL LINE ISSUE THAT THAT MAY BE THAT IMPACT SOME OF THIS? IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. THE MEMORIAL UNDERPASS GOES UNDER THE UP RAILWAY AND DART AND SO THAT'S HOW WE AVOID ANY IMPACT TO THOSE RAILWAYS IN THIS OPTION. DO WE NEED TO GET THEIR PERMISSION OR THEIR AGREEMENT, OR IS THERE SOME KIND OF A DELAY OR TECHNICAL ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH ON THAT? SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BOTH TXDOT AND DART, AS WELL AS UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND SO AS WE DEVELOP PLANS, WE'RE PROVIDING THEM TO THEM TO REVIEW. AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE HAD GREAT FEEDBACK.
SO IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, THEY'RE ALREADY AT THE TABLE AND SO WE CAN WORK THROUGH THAT.
OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRACEY. THANK YOU.
I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW THESE SCENARIOS HERE AND I'M LOOKING AT GOOGLE EARTH AND LOOKING AT THIS MAP TO TRYING TO PUT THEM TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND. SO FIRST I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. AND THIS MORNING WE HAD QUALITY OF LIFE. WE TALKED ABOUT POTENTIALLY DOING A NAME CHANGE, AND I TALKED TO GUS ABOUT KIND OF THE BEGINNING AND END FOR THE PEDESTRIAN SIDE OF THAT ALONG HOUSTON, WHAT I DON'T SEE, AND THIS IS JUST A SIMPLE QUESTION OF ME TRYING TO MAKE A.
YOU KNOW, IF I'M LEAVING CITY HALL UNDER EITHER 1 OF THESE SCENARIOS, HOW WOULD I GET ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO OAK CLIFF? HOW WOULD. WHAT ROUTE WOULD I TAKE IN ANY 1 OF THESE SCENARIOS? VERY SELFISH QUESTION, BUT I'M TRYING TO MAKE. IT'S GOING TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THESE OPTIONS. AND SO FROM CITY HALL, PROBABLY YOUR MOST CONVENIENT ACCESS POINT BY AS A PEDESTRIAN WOULD BE TO ACCESS THE CONVENTION CENTER VIA LAMAR STREET HERE AND SO YOU CAN WALK THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THEN DRIVING.
I'M SORRY. OH, YOU MEANT DRIVING? YES, YES I SEE.
YES. SO HERE YOU HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS. THE ONE THAT'S THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON HERE, OF COURSE, IS JEFFERSON VIADUCTS. THE WAY YOU WOULD ACCESS THAT FROM THIS BUILDING IS YOU GO WEST ALONG WOOD AND THEN SOUTH ALONG HOTEL TO ACCESS THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT. ALTERNATIVELY, AT THAT POINT, YOU COULD YOU CAN GET ONTO I-35 AT THAT REUNION ENTRANCE THAT TAKES YOU TO A VERY SIMILAR PLACE DOWN ON COLORADO AND DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO, OF COURSE, THERE'S ALSO I-30 AS AN OPTION.
OKAY. AND AS AN OPTION, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO SEE IF.
LET ME FORMULATE THIS THOUGHT AND YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME.
THANK YOU. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW OLD THE VIADUCT IS? I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. WE ALL COULD GOOGLE IT AND FIND OUT. I'LL HAVE TO GET.
I HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I GUESS. AND SO IS IT GOING TO BE TOTALLY REBUILT OR WILL YOU JUST MODIFIED IT? MODIFY IT? IN OTHER WORDS, IN 10 YEARS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REBUILD THE THING AND WE MIGHT AS WELL LOOK AT REDOING THE WHOLE THING.
[00:40:05]
I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS BY JUST MAKING MODIFICATIONS VERSUS IN 10 YEARS OR WHATEVER, WE TURN IT, TEAR IT DOWN. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, COUNCIL APPROVED 2 CONTRACTS WITH TXDOT TO REHABILITATE BOTH BRIDGES.AND THESE CONTRACTS BASICALLY WILL REHABILITATE THE EXISTING BRIDGES, BOTH HOUSTON AND JEFFERSON VIADUCT AS THEY ARE TODAY. SO THEY WILL BE UPGRADED IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT.
SO DO YOU KNOW HOW, I GUESS, CAN YOU GET BACK WITH ME AND TELL ME HOW MUCH THE SHELF LIFE IS? SO AND I MEAN, IS THIS IS THE REHAB GOING TO BE A 10 YEAR REHAB OR IS IT FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS? I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO INCREASE THE DEFINITELY EXTEND THE LIFESPAN OF THE BRIDGES BECAUSE IT'S A IT'S AN EXTENSIVE UPGRADE.
OKAY. THAT WAS MY QUESTION IS JUST KNOWING IF WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS INVESTMENT, BUT YET IN 10 YEARS OR WHATEVER, IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN OR IN 10 YEARS OR 20 YEARS.
BUT IF YOU'RE MAKING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, THEN 53.
THANK YOU DEAR. SHE GAVE IT TO ME. THANK YOU.
COUNCILWOMAN MENDELSOHN. THANK YOU. SO IT LOOKS LIKE ALL OF THIS IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE BUILDING GOT LOWERED. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. THE BUILDING.
ORIGINALLY WHEN WE DESIGNED THE BUILDING, IT WAS GOING TO ALLOW FOR THE VIADUCT TO GO UNDER THE BUILDING AND FOR TRAFFIC TO FLOW UNDER THE BUILDING. WE BRIEFED THAT LAST YEAR AND WERE THEN ASKED TO LOWER THE COST OF THE BUILDING.
SO AND THE LOWERING OF THE COST OF THE BUILDING, WE TOOK IT DOWN 2 STORIES AND IN DOING THAT I HAD TO REPROGRAM IT AND SO PART OF THIS IS RETOOLING. NOW SOME OF THE COORDINATION, IT HAS TO BE DONE WITH THE OAK FARMS CORRIDOR STUDY AND HOW WE TREAT THESE STREETS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY STREETS TO NOWHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE REUNION ARENA.
ALL OF THAT HAD TO BE ADDRESSED ANYWAY, BUT THE INTERACTION WITH HOW WE INTERACT WITH THE VIADUCT AROSE PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE RETOOLING OF THE BUILDING. WELL, WHAT YOU HEARD FROM CHAIRMAN GRACEY WAS THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW HE'S GOING TO GET THERE.
SO THEY MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT FOR REUNION 53 YEARS AGO.
BUT WHAT THEY'VE BECOME IS ESSENTIAL FOR TRAFFIC AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE COMING TO OUR BUILDING WEARING THESE BUTTONS THAT SAY CONNECT THE CORE. AND WHAT THIS IS ACTUALLY DOING IS DISCONNECTING THE CORE.
AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK, THIS IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT MY DISTRICT.
I DON'T LOVE THIS PROJECT TO BEGIN WITH, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY BAD IDEA.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU SAVE BY LOWERING THE BUILDING? THE 2 STORIES. APPROXIMATELY $500 MILLION. $500 MILLION.
AND HOW MUCH HOW MUCH IS THIS PROJECT? IT'S BETWEEN 3.1 AND 3.3.
THAT'S NOT CHANGED SINCE WE LAST BRIEFED COUNCIL.
SO WHAT WENT UP THAT YOU HAD TO REDUCE THIS $500 MILLION TO OFFSET.
SO WHEN WE BROUGHT THE BUILDING THE LAST TIME, THERE WERE SOME COSTS RELATED TO THE COST OF STEEL, THE COST OF CONCRETE, ETC., THAT WERE DRIVING THE COST OF THE BUILDING UP, WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP IT AT OR BELOW 3.5 COUNCIL ASKED US TO GO EVEN LOWER THAN THAT. AND SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO COMPRESS THE BUILDING AND TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE SAME PROGRAM.
THERE WAS SOME STRETCHING OF IT, BUT IF I COULD JUST ANSWER YOUR FIRST COMMENT, WE DID MEET WITH THE COUNCIL PERSONS WHO'S, WHO WOULD BE MOST IMPACTED IMMEDIATELY NORTH OAK CLIFF AND SOME OF THE IMMEDIATE DOWNTOWN AND THE OAK CLIFF AREA AS TO THE PLAN AND DID WALK THEM THROUGH HOW WE WOULD, 1 CONTINUE TO STUDY.
WE'D RECOMMEND 1.A BUT CONTINUE TO STUDY THE TRAFFIC FLOWS.
AND THAT'S THE TRAFFIC COUNTS THAT TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORK IS DOING AND THEN ALSO WALKED THEM THROUGH THE VARIATIONS OF HOW TRAFFIC WOULD COME INTO AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN. WELL, I THINK THERE'S A FALLACY HERE.
AND WITH RESPECT TO CHAIRMAN WEST, WHOSE DISTRICT DOES CONNECT INTO THAT ISN'T THE TOTALITY OF THE POPULATION, BECAUSE ACTUALLY YOU HAVE DISTRICT 3 ASKING WHERE, DISTRICT 1, YOU MAY HAVE THE ABILITY TO JUST RIDE YOUR BIKE HOME.
I DON'T KNOW THAT DISTRICT 3 IS GOING TO RIDE THAT FAR ON A BIKE.
[00:45:03]
I'M GOING TO GUESS, NO, IT'S A LONG RIDE. OKAY, SO YOU'RE ASKING THE NEARBY, BUT THEY HAVE OPTIONS THAT MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE TO OTHER DISTRICTS AND CERTAINLY YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE TRAFFIC TO ONLY COME FROM THE MOST ADJACENT AREA, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO SAY WE'RE RECOMMENDING THIS OPTION BUT THERE'S A LOT OF STEPS THAT GO INTO THIS AND PERHAPS THE DIRECTOR CAN CARLEY CAN KIND OF WALK THROUGH THOSE.BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT MY INTEREST IS THE SAME AS THE HIGH SPEED RAIL INTEREST.
AGAIN, NOT GOING TO IMPACT MY DISTRICT, BUT I CARE ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND I CARE ABOUT HOW THIS TRAFFIC MOVES, WHICH IMPACTS EVERYBODY WHO COMES DOWN HERE. SURE.
BUT I'M REALLY CONCERNED THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS CHANGE IN THE BUILDING ITSELF TO SAVE $500 MILLION.
AND IT MIGHT BE A SHORT SIGHTED CUT AND WHILE I DON'T EVEN LIKE IT BEING 3 BILLION, THE TRUTH IS THAT IF IT'S GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER 500 MILLION TO GET IT RIGHT, I'D RATHER SPEND THAT AND HAVE IT DONE PROPERLY.
LIKE YOU WANT US TO PASS THIS, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO DO A TRAFFIC IMPACT THAT SEEMS BACKWARDS.
FIRST, YOU SHOULD TELL US WELL, THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW WILL HAPPEN. AND THEN. OKAY, SO I'M JUST GOING TO SAY I'M A NO TO ALL OF THIS, GO BACK AND FIX THE BUILDING SO THAT IT ACTUALLY WORKS PROPERLY.
IT IS NOW 3:27 P.M. AND I AM RECONVENING THE SPECIAL CALLED TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, WE ARE STILL ON ITEM A. COUNCILWOMAN CADENA. DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES. SO I ACTUALLY USE THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT AND HOUSTON VIADUCT QUITE A BIT.
SO THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. SO YOU MENTIONED HOTEL STREET TO JEFFERSON BEING AN ALTERNATE.
THAT IS, WOULD SOMETHING HAVE TO BE BUILT? BECAUSE I THINK 1'S AT GRADE AND THE OTHERS A BRIDGE.
SO. CORRECT. SO THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT IS ELEVATED TODAY WHERE.
WHEREAS HOTEL STREET IS AT GRADE. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT DOWN TO GRADE, SO THERE WOULD BE A DOWN RAMP THAT STARTS BACK FROM AROUND STEMMONS AND CONNECTS TO HOTEL AT GRADE, AT THAT POINT. AND THEN HOW WOULD I GET TO OAK CLIFF.
TO OAK CLIFF YOU CAN, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT SOUTHBOUND OR NORTHBOUND TO AND FROM OAK CLIFF TO CONNECT FROM HOTEL STREET ON THE NORTH SIDE TO COLORADO ON THE SOUTH SIDE. OKAY. AND THEN DO YOU ALL DID YOU ALL DO A PRELIMINARY TRAFFIC STUDY? SO WE DID, WE DID A PRELIMINARY TRAFFIC STUDY AND PROVIDED THAT AS PART OF OUR SUBMITTAL AND OUR DISCUSSION WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS. AND SO THEN DIRECTOR KEN CARLEY CAN KIND OF DESCRIBE THE PROCESS.
THEY GO INTO MORE DETAILED ONE DURING THE THOROUGHFARE AMENDMENT PROCESS.
YEAH. SO IN ORDER TO MAKE THESE CHANGES, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE THOROUGHFARE AMENDMENT PROCESS AND THE THOROUGHFARE AMENDMENT PROCESS AS PART OF THE PACKAGE WILL REQUIRE THE SUBMISSION OF A TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY OF THE CHANGES AND THAT STUDY, BASICALLY, WE HAVE A CONSULTANT ON BOARD TO LOOK INDEPENDENTLY, LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THE CHANGE ON OUR TRAFFIC OPERATIONS, AND THAT WOULD BE, AGAIN, SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE THOROUGHFARE PROCESS AND THE THOROUGHFARE PROCESS.
OKAY, SO CAN WE GET A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY REPORT? IT WILL BE IT WILL BE PART OF THE PACKAGE. OKAY.
AND THEN DID YOU ALL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ONLY EXISTING BUILDINGS OR SOME OF THE GROWTH THAT WILL BE COMING INTO THE AREA? YEAH. SO WE CONSIDERED GROWTH FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS THROUGH 2045.
[00:50:05]
SO OVERALL, WE TRIED TO BE CONSERVATIVE AND TAKE THE HIGH END OF THE RANGE OF POSSIBLE GROWTH.THAT BEING 40% GROWTH IN TRAFFIC OVERALL. YES.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IF THIS DOESN'T PASS AT CPC PROCESS? IF IT DOESN'T PASS, THE ROADWAY REMAINS WHERE IT'S AT.
OKAY. AND THEN HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THIS CHANGE? SO THE IMMEDIATE PROPERTY OWNERS AROUND IT. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO TO THEM AND RUN THIS BY THEM TO SEE WHAT THEIR FEEDBACK WOULD BE. BECAUSE I SEE ON 1 OF THESE, I MEAN, A RAIL ROAD RAILROAD IS ON ONE SIDE OF A PROPERTY.
I HAVE A LOT OF ROAD RAILROADS IN WEST DALLAS, AND SOMETIMES IT'S THEY'RE NOT THE EASIEST TO WORK WITH, RIGHT. AND SO, I MEAN, THIS ONE PROPERTY WOULD BE LANDLOCKED SOMEWHAT.
SO I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, MORE ABOUT WHAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR FEEDBACK IS ON THIS PROPOSAL. AND THEN WHAT PUBLIC FEEDBACK HAVE YOU HAD ON THIS CHANGE? BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THIS, ESPECIALLY IN, YOU KNOW, WEST DALLAS AREA.
I MEAN, THIS IS THEY USE THIS AS A SHORTCUT QUITE A BIT.
SO HAS THERE BEEN ANY FEEDBACK LIKE ON LOSING THIS CONNECTION? SO THESE WOULD NOT BE COMPLETELY PUBLIC YET UNTIL WE SUBMIT THE THOROUGHFARE AMENDMENTS.
THAT'S WHERE THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WOULD WOULD START.
IN TERMS OF ALL OF THE OPTIONS THAT WERE AVAILABLE, BUT NOT IN SPECIFICITY.
SO AS PART OF THE PROCESS THAT WE WOULD DO WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, THAT DEEPER ENGAGEMENT WOULD HAPPEN AS PART OF THAT PROCESS AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS, CAN YOU COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE BEFORE FINALIZING THE 6 OPTIONS AND LET US KNOW WHAT THAT IS? SURE. I THINK THE SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING TODAY IS IF WE CAN GO AND ACTUALLY DIG DEEPER INTO THE RECOMMEND RECOMMENDED OPTION OF 1.A.
BUT IF YOUR RECOMMENDATION TODAY IS THAT WE ACTUALLY DO TRAFFIC STUDIES ON ALL OF THE OPTIONS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED HERE INSTEAD OF JUST THE 1, THEN THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE JUST WE JUST DISCUSSED AS A SIDEBAR DURING THE BREAK THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY DO AND BRING THAT BACK IF THAT'S THE BODY'S RECOMMENDATION. I KNOW I WOULD FEEL A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, AND ESPECIALLY TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS AS WELL.
THANK YOU, CHAIR RIDLEY. COUNCIL MEMBER BLAIR.
THANK YOU CHAIR. MISS FLEMING, I'M LOOKING ON PAGE 7 OF THE PRESENTATION WHERE YOU HAVE THE ROUTES AND I WAS HAVING A DISCUSSION, A SIDEBAR HERE WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBER FRIEND, COUNCIL MEMBER WEST.
I HAD TO LOOK AT YOU. THE GREEN SECTION HAS THE BIKE AND THE PEDESTRIAN ROUTE ON HOUSTON FROM THE HOUSTON VIADUCT. AND CAN YOU TELL ME, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE BIKE ROUTE AND THE HOTEL ENTRYWAY ARE IN THE SAME SPOT, HOW CAN YOU HOW WHAT ARE THE PLANS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REST OF THE HOTEL RESIDENTS ARE COMING OUT SAFELY AND NOT BEING INJURED OR BEING MET WITH A BIKE? SURE. ABSOLUTELY. I'M GOING TO ASK CLAYTON TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH THE VARIOUS STREETS AROUND THERE AND EXPLAIN THE TERMS. AND COUNCILWOMAN BLAIR, COULD YOU JUST HELP ME JUST A BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHICH WHICH PROPERTY OR SET OF PROPERTIES ARE YOU REFERRING TO? I'M LOOKING ON ON THE PRESENTATION PAGE 7. YEAH, YEAH.
ON THE GREEN SECTION THAT GOES UP THE HOUSTON STREET VIADUCT.
IT GOES AROUND THE HOTEL, RIGHT? AND THEN IT IT STOPS AT YOUNG STREET, CORRECT? RIGHT. CORRECT. WHEN IT GOES PAST THE HOTEL, HOW DO YOU KEEP THE PEOPLE COMING OUT OF THE HOTEL AND THOSE THAT ARE RIDING A BIKE, PEOPLE, PEDESTRIANS. I DON'T WORRY ABOUT YOU SEE SOMEONE AND YOU LET YOU KNOW YOU JUST CROSS BIKES ARE THE ONES THAT
[00:55:01]
I WORRY ABOUT. HOW ARE YOU SEPARATING BOTH THE BIKES AND THE PATRONS COMING OUT, THE HOTEL OR THE PEDESTRIANS WALKING ON THAT GREEN SECTION. IN THAT SECTION THERE, THE HOUSTON VIADUCT, YOU MIGHT RECALL, IS ELEVATED ABOVE GRADE.IT'S COMING DOWN TO GRADE, IT FINALLY REACHES GRADE AS IT REACHES YOUNG STREET.
SO THERE'S A SEPARATION, SO THOSE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES WHERE WE SHOW POTENTIAL FUTURE HOTELS, THEY ARE BUILT AT GRADE AND THE VIADUCT WITH THE GREENWAY IS ABOVE GRADE AND THEREFORE SEPARATED FROM DIRECT INTERACTIONS WITH THOSE PROPERTIES.
SO HOW HOW FAR IS IT ABOVE GRADE? IT VARIES. SO IT'S AT GRADE AT YOUNG STREET.
THAT'S AN AT GRADE INTERSECTION, YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING STREETCAR, PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS, EVERYTHING'S DOWN THERE BUT IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THAT POINT, JUST LIKE TODAY, IT'S THE SAME STRUCTURE AS TODAY, HOUSTON VIADUCT RISES ABOVE GRADE.
SO THERE WILL BE NO INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BIKES AND THOSE THAT ARE ON GRADE COMING OUT OF THE HOTEL.
IT'S ONLY WHEN YOU GET TO YOUNG STREET THAT THERE WILL BE INTERACTION, THERE COULD BE INTERACTION.
WITH REGARD TO THAT GREENWAY, THAT IS CORRECT, YES.
SO WHEN YOU GET TO THE REUNION BOULEVARD, THEN YOU HAVE DON'T YOU HAVE THE HOTEL, THE REUNION, THE HOTEL THERE, AND THE BIKES WOULD ALSO BE COMING DOWN.
HOW DO WE KEEP THE REST, THOSE COMING OUT OF THAT HOTEL NORTH, AND THAT WOULD BE NORTH OF YOUNG STREET, FROM CRASHING TOGETHER. SO THERE WE'RE INTO JUST THE GENERAL URBAN COMPLETE STREETS DESIGN FOR YOUNG STREET, FOR HOUSTON STREET. SO ALONG YOUNG STREET HERE, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A PROTECTED BIKE LANE TO KEEP THE CYCLISTS SEPARATE AND SAFE THEMSELVES. THAT WOULD BE A SHARED SPACE FOR, WELL, YOU'D HAVE THE SIDEWALK THERE, YOU'D HAVE THE CYCLE LANES, YOU'D HAVE SEPARATE TRAFFIC LANES. BUT ALL OF THAT IS WELL BEYOND THIS PROJECT THAT IS NOW INTO THE GENERAL, HOW SHOULD STREETS BE DESIGNED IN THE DOWNTOWN.
AND I WOULD REFER ACTUALLY MORE TO GUS TO DESCRIBE ANY PLANS FOR THAT.
SO WE DO HAVE A BIKE PLAN AT THIS POINT. WE'RE NOT SHOWING ANYTHING ON YOUNG.
SO, AND THEN FURTHER, YOUNG STREET HAS CURRENTLY A PLANNED STREETCAR EXTENSION IN THAT AREA.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE MIXING BIKES AND STREETCAR, YOU KNOW, IN THE SAME SPOT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WHEN MANY OF US WERE IN DC, WE SAW A COOL WAY THAT THEY DO BIKE LANES AND, AND PEDESTRIAN ON PARKING CARS. MAYBE WE OUGHT TO GO AND LOOK AT THE WAY THAT THEY DO IT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY, REALLY SEPARATING PEDESTRIANS FROM BIKES. BIKES ARE SAFE.
PEDESTRIANS ARE SAFE. PARKING IS SAFE. IT'S REALLY, REALLY COOL.
JUST A SUGGESTION, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OTHER PLACES, BUT THANK YOU.
COULD COULD I JUST ADD TO THAT? I APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK, COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, THESE PROJECTS ARE IN THE PLANNING STAGE, SO IT IS APPROPRIATE TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN MOVE FROM PLANNING TO DESIGN TO CONSTRUCTION AND SO CERTAINLY WE ACCEPT YOUR FEEDBACK AT THIS PLANNING STAGE AND SEE HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS BUT AS THE TEAM MENTIONED, SAFETY IS REALLY THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE AS WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE DESIGN OPTIONS. THANK YOU. WELL WHEN WE WERE IN DC, WE SAW A COOL WAY TO DESIGN THIS AND IF ANY OF THOSE DESIGN STANDARDS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE WAY WE ARE DESIGNING DOWNTOWN, IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE BIKE RIDERS RESIDENTIAL AND THE INCREASE OF RESIDENTIAL. OWNERSHIP OR RESIDENCE IN DOWNTOWN, AS WELL AS GETTING THEM ON BIKES, EVEN SCOOTERS OFF SIDEWALKS. WE MAYBE NEED TO RELOOK AT THAT WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT OUR OUR DESIGN STANDARDS FOR ANYTHING DOWNTOWN. COUNCIL MEMBER WEST.
THANK YOU. AND LIKE MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, I DRIVE ON THIS BRIDGE ACTUALLY 3 TO 4 TIMES A DAY, DURING COUNCIL DAYS AT LEAST. IT IS WELL, I DRIVE ON THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT AND THEN COME BACK ON THE HOUSTON VIADUCT.
[01:00:08]
BOTH BOTH WAYS. AGREE WITH EVERYTHING. ACTUALLY, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, I KNOW YOU GUYS THINK I'M A WEAR A BIKE HELMET ALL THE TIME, BUT AS WE DO HAVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO AND FROM DOWNTOWN AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE SITUATION. WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT WAY TO GET THERE.I DEFINITELY BASED ON THE I AGREE WITH WHAT MISS MENDELSOHN SAID.
I DON'T REALLY LOVE ANY OF THE OPTIONS HERE, OF THE OPTIONS YOU PRESENTED, I DO LIKE ONE A THE, THE BEST, BUT I DO WORRY ABOUT THE BOTTLENECK OF TRAFFIC DURING THE BUSY TIMES IN THE MORNING AND AT 5:00.
AND SO I'M VERY, I DEFINITELY SUPPORT A TRAFFIC STUDY FOR 1.A.
AND THEN IF, IF MY COLLEAGUES WANTED STUDIES FOR THE OTHERS, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN ALSO HOW DO WE GET THE AT GRADE CROSSING? HOW DOES THAT PLAY WITH THE PEDESTRIANS AND BIKES THAT ARE COMING OFF HOUSTON? WITH THAT BEING SAID BUT EVEN BEFORE THE CONVENTION CENTER DISCUSSION STARTED THE COG HAD MET THE COUNCIL AND GOVERNMENTS HAD MET WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS PART OF THE OAK FARMS CORRIDOR STUDY.
AND HOUSTON HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR SINCE BEFORE MY TIME ACTUALLY AS A PEDESTRIAN BIKE BRIDGE WITH JEFFERSON GETTING ALL THE TRAFFIC, SO THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY SPOKEN ON THAT.
THEY'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF A PLAN TO SOMEHOW GET BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS INTO DOWNTOWN IN A SAFE MANNER BECAUSE IT'S NOT RIGHT NOW AND HAVE THIS CONNECTION TO RECREATION IN THE DISTRICT THAT WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW IN A SAFE MANNER.
SO I WOULD HATE TO SEE THAT COMPROMISED IN ANY WAY.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, THERE IS A NEED FOR TRAVEL, SO THERE'S NOT AN EASY SOLUTION.
I WANT TO SEE SOME MORE WORK DONE AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU GUYS COME BACK HERE TO IF MR. RIDLEY WILL BRING IT BACK HERE TO TELL US WHAT YOU FIND WHEN YOU'VE WORKED THROUGH THE ISSUES WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS.
THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RESENDEZ, ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A FEW. SCENARIO 1.A. DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WELL THOUGHT OUT.
YOU SHOW THE GREENWAY COMING OFF OF THE HOUSTON STREET VIADUCT TO HOUSTON STREET, PAST THE POTENTIAL HOTEL SITE, BUT YOU DON'T SHOW ANY ACCESS AND I DON'T SEE HOW YOU WOULD HAVE VEHICULAR ACCESS INTO THAT SITE, ACCESS FROM REUNION BOULEVARD IS NOT SUFFICIENT BECAUSE THAT'S A 1 WAY EASTBOUND STREET, AND IT HAS SERIOUS GRADE COMING FROM THE RAILROAD UNDERPASS. AND SO HOW WOULD VEHICLES BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE POTENTIAL HOTEL SITE FROM THE HOUSTON STREET SIDE? SO WE ARE PROPOSING BUT DID NOT MENTION IT EARLIER, AN EXTENSION AND REALIGNMENT OF CEREMONIAL DRIVE, WHICH YOU'LL SEE HERE AS THAT STRAIGHT LINE, YOU'LL YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THE ALIGNMENT IS CEREMONIAL, BUT IT'S EXTENDED HERE ALL THE WAY PAST THE HOUSTON VIADUCT.
SO THAT WOULD BE A NEW CONNECTION TO THAT PROPERTY WHERE CEREMONIAL.
OH, I SEE IT'S IN THE MIDDLE. IT'S NEAR THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER THERE. YEAH. SO THAT WOULD PROVIDE LOCAL ACCESS TO AND FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF, AS WELL AS TO THE PROPERTY JUST BEYOND THE HOUSTON VIADUCT AND THAT'S A CONNECTION THAT DOES NOT EXIST TODAY.
SO CEREMONIAL WOULD BE EXTENDED OR CONTINUE UNDER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER TO INTERSECT AT, WELL, I GUESS IT WOULD BE UNDERNEATH THE HOUSTON STREET.
IT WOULD BE PRIVATE PROPERTY AND UP TO A FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
WELL, THE WAY YOU'VE SHOWN IT WITH THE DASHED GREEN ARROW WOULD REQUIRE CONDEMNATION OF PART OF THE HOTEL SITE IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE A RIGHT OF WAY, WOULDN'T IT? THAT DASHED LINE IS IS NOT INDICATIVE OF ANY PROPOSED RIGHT OF RIGHT OF WAY OR ALIGNMENT.
WELL, WOULD THERE BE ANY VEHICULAR ACCESS FROM WHAT'S NOW HOUSTON STREET AT GRADE LEVEL? NO, HOUSTON, HOUSTON STREET IS ABOVE GRADE AT THAT POINT AND CEREMONIAL IS AT GRADE.
SO WE'RE NOT EXPECTING THERE TO BE ANY DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN THOSE TWO ROADWAYS AT THAT POINT.
[01:05:01]
WOW. WELL, I THINK THAT'S A SERIOUS SHORTCOMING OF THIS APPROACH.I'D ALSO LIKE TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE 6.A. AND WHAT ATTRACTED ME ABOUT THAT IS THE JUNCTION OF JEFFERSON AND HOUSTON STREET. YOU SAY IT WAS NOT A FAVORED PLAN BECAUSE OF THE SPLIT, WHY NOT JUST INCORPORATE THE CONJUNCTION OF THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT EXTENSION AND HOUSTON STREET VIADUCT WITHOUT GOING TO THE EAST UNDER THE CONVENTION CENTER? THAT WOULD SEEM TO SOLVE SOME OF YOUR OBJECTION TO THAT APPROACH.
AND IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW VEHICULAR ACCESS ALONG HOUSTON STREET, WOULDN'T IT? UP TO YOUNG. SO JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HERE IS WHY NOT JUST BRING ALL 4 LANES OF THE JEFFERSON VIADUCT, TRAFFIC OVER ONTO THE HOUSTON VIADUCT STRUCTURE AND DOWN TO YOUNG, CORRECT? YEAH. SO FIRST, IN ANY SCENARIO, HOUSTON STREET IS ELEVATED COMING DOWN TO GRADE.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT PROPERTY NEXT TO IT AND THE VIADUCT ITSELF.
BUT WE DID LOOK AT THAT OPTION AS WELL. THE CHALLENGE IS THAT THE RIGHT OF WAY OR RATHER ROADWAY WIDTH OF, OF HOUSTON IS ONLY WIDE ENOUGH FOR A STREET CAR AND THE EQUIVALENT OF 2 TRAVEL LANES AND YOU HAVE 4 TRAVEL LANES ON JEFFERSON PLUS THE NEED TO FIT THE GREENWAY IN. SO YOU HAVE PROGRAMING EFFECTIVELY FOR WIDTH EQUIVALENT TO 6 TRAVEL LANES, BUT ONLY 2 AVAILABLE. AND SO THAT'S WHY IN 6.A, WE BRING 2 LANES FROM JEFFERSON ONTO HOUSTON, DROP 2 LANES DOWN TO HOTEL AND DROP THE GREENWAY DOWN TO HOTEL.
THAT'S HOW WE RESOLVE THOSE 6 AND USE USE THE 2 ON HOUSTON.
WELL, ACTUALLY, THE ROUTE THAT GOES UNDERNEATH THE CONVENTION CENTER IN 6.A IS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN SCENARIO 1.A, ISN'T IT? IT IS, YES. SO THAT WOULD BE A DOWN RAMP THOUGH.
CORRECT. SO WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES TO 6.A? YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE HIGHLIGHTING IT PROVIDES NICE DIRECT CONNECTION INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER, ALSO INTO UNION STATION IN DOWNTOWN.
SOME OF THE DOWNSIDES. YOU NO LONGER HAVE THAT DIRECT CONNECTION OF THE GREENWAY.
YOU ALSO WOULD HAVE TO USE THE PHYSICAL. I'M SORRY, WHAT ABOUT THE GREENWAY? THE GREENWAY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE ALONG THE HOUSTON VIADUCT INTO UNION STATION, YOU'D HAVE TO GO AROUND, YOU HAVE TO COME DOWN THE GRADE AND GO AROUND ON HOTEL AND REUNION.
ALSO, THAT LITTLE S RAMP FROM HOUSTON TO JEFFERSON WOULD REQUIRE DEMOLISHING PART OR ALL OF THE REUNION GARAGE, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE PHYSICALLY IN THE SAME SPACE.
AND IT IN THE CITY'S OPINION, IT SEEMED TO POINT TOWARD 1.A.
BEING A MORE FAVORABLE OPTION. SO, ROSA, WHEN THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LOWER THE CONVENTION CENTER TO SAVE $500 MILLION, I ASSUME THAT YOU DID A COST ANALYSIS OF WHAT IT WOULD COST TO DO STREET IMPROVEMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE THAT CHANGE.
WHAT WAS THAT TOTAL? WE DID, AND THAT WAS CLOSER IN THE $100 MILLION RANGE.
SO IT WAS A $400 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2. AND SO THERE ARE MORE OPTIONS THAN THIS.
I THINK WE RAN HOW MANY 12 SCENARIOS AND NARROWED IT DOWN TO THE ONES ON THE PAGE, AFTER HAVING SEVERAL MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND WITH ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER RASTOGI, ETC.
AND TRYING TO ALIGN IT. BUT IF THIS BODY WOULD LIKE US TO BRING ALL OF THOSE BACK.
KIND OF WALK THROUGH THEM, TALK ABOUT WHAT THE PROS AND CONS WERE OF EACH OF THOSE.
AND MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT. THERE IS NEVER THERE'S EVERYONE'S ALWAYS MYOPIC IN SOME SITUATIONS, RIGHT? AND SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING, THAT MAYBE THERE'S A MARRIAGE BETWEEN SOME OF THOSE THAT WE HAVE MISSED.
AS A STUDY GROUP, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT, WE WANT THIS TO WORK.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE FINISH THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE RETIRE, AND THEN IT'S IN THE PAPER THAT WE MISSED THE MARK, YOU KNOW, A YEAR LATER. SO THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO WE WANT TO GET WRONG OUT OF THE GATE.
SURE. I BELIEVE THERE ARE ENOUGH CONCERNS ON THIS COMMITTEE TO JUSTIFY LOOKING AT MORE OPTIONS,
[01:10:07]
BECAUSE I DON'T HEAR ANYBODY THAT'S REAL HAPPY WITH ANY OF THESE.SO WHEN WOULD YOU BE PREPARED TO COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THE OTHER OPTIONS? SURE. LET'S LOOK AT THE APRIL MEETING. I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO TO PUSH FORWARD AND TO TAKE THE FEEDBACK OF THE COMMITTEE AND EVALUATE IF THERE ARE SOME CHANGES TO THE THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN OFF THE TABLE AND LET'S SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH RESPECT TO THE TRAFFIC.
OKAY, LET'S PUT IT ON THE APRIL AGENDA THEN. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. YES. MR. ROTH, 1ST. JUST A CLARIFICATION THERE, IT SAID IN YOUR NEXT STEPS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SUBMITTING THOROUGHFARE AMENDMENT APPLICATIONS. SO WOULD THAT BE PUT ON HOLD UNTIL WE'D HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THESE OTHER SCENARIOS? ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. YES, THAT WOULD GET PUT ON HOLD.
WHAT IS IT AND AGAIN, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A HARD AND FAST NUMBER, BUT TO DO A TRAFFIC STUDY.
WHAT KIND OF WHAT DOES IT COST TO DO THAT KIND OF STUFF IN IN BIG BRACKETED NUMBERS? I'M I'M NOT TRYING TO WHAT'S A TRAFFIC STUDY COST TYPICALLY.
WELL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT, IT VARIES AS FAR AS THE HOW EXTENT AND ALL I'M GOING TO SAY.
SO JUST THE SCALE OF 1 OPTION, WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO LOOK AT IS THE IMPACT OF ALL OF THE INTERSECTIONS AND THE ROADWAYS THAT FEED INTO IT TO SEE WHAT WOULD THIS CHANGE DUE TO ALL OF THEM.
SO OBVIOUSLY, THE MORE OPTIONS WE HAVE, I MEAN, THE MORE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO STUDY.
I MEAN, THAT COST CAN GET UP THERE. SO I'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP AND TO GIVE YOU A RANGE I DON'T WANT TO MISSPEAK ABOUT ABOUT THIS HERE, BUT CERTAINLY IT WILL GET UP THERE. MY POINT BEING IS THAT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT.
IT COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY. AND CERTAINLY IT WOULD SEEM THAT WE WANT TO SORT OF PIN DOWN OUR GENERAL PLAN FIRST BEFORE WE START GETTING TRAFFIC STUDIES DONE ON SUGGESTED OR PROPOSED, AND OBVIOUSLY NOT ON 12 OR 6 OR 12 DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
THAT'S REAL MONEY. SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE FOCUS ON FIGURING OUT A PLAN.
THE 3RD THING, THE THIRD COMMENT I HAVE IS THAT TO COUNCIL COUNCIL PERSON MENDELSOHN SUGGESTION, WE REALLY DO WANT TO CONNECT THESE THESE PARTS OF DOWNTOWN.
AND I NOTICED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF HOTEL POTENTIAL SITES.
THERE'S THERE'S POTENTIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SITES.
YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE THAT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO IT AND TO GET PEOPLE TO ACCESS IT, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO BE DOWN THERE AND TO BE LIVING, WORKING HAVE ACTIVITY THERE AND TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THESE OTHER CONNECTIVITIES OF THOSE BUILDINGS. AND AGAIN, THIS I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS IS NOT THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT A PLAN THAT REALLY CREATES THE ECONOMIC VIABILITY AROUND THIS CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO MAKING MAKING THIS PART OF TOWN VIABLE.
AND AGAIN, I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT WOULD BE IN THE CONSIDERATION OF THE BIGGER PICTURE ITEMS HERE.
THANK YOU. COULD I MAKE A COMMENT TO THAT JUST TO CLARIFY SOMETHING FOR YOU? SO WE HAVE GOTTEN WHAT ARE CALLED THE MASTER PLANS FROM EACH OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AROUND US AND THEIR INTENTION OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO CONSTRUCT ON, ON THEIR PROPERTY. WE CAN OVERLAY THIS ON THAT.
AND SO WE COULD OVERLAY THAT AND SHOW YOU HOW EACH OF THESE IMPACTS THAT AND I'M ADDING TO CLAYTON, BUT WE CAN DO THAT. AND THAT WAY YOU CAN ACTUALLY VISUALLY SEE IT AND THEN BE ABLE TO OPINE ON IT BETTER.
WHEN IT SAYS PROGRAMABLE GREEN SPACE ON THE PLAN, WHAT IS PROGRAMABLE GREEN SPACE? SO THAT IS OUR SIDE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
THE 30 ACRES THAT WOULD BE FREED UP ONCE THE CONVENTION CENTER IS IS DEMOLISHED.
OKAY. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BLAIR.
IS IT POSSIBLE? THANK YOU CHAIR. IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE THESE.
OPTIONS IN A LIKE A PICTURE 3D FORM FLAT LIKE THIS.
[01:15:07]
INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND BIKES WILL INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.FOR ME, IF I HAVE A MORE OF A 3D TYPE OF LOOK, IT'S EASIER FOR ME TO VISUALIZE.
I CAN'T SEE THIS, IT ALL LOOKS LIKE IT'S FLAT AND EVERYBODY IS IS GOING TO BE A JUNGLE WHERE EVERYBODY JUST COMES TOGETHER IN 1 SPOT IN A CHAOTIC KIND OF WAY.
YES, WE CAN GET THAT DONE. IT WILL AND WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET IT DONE BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING ON, WE CAN SEE IT IN A MORE 3D FORM SO THAT WHEN WE GET ALL EVERYTHING TOGETHER, YOU OVERLAY. WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR EACH EACH PROPERTY OWNER AND WHERE BIKES GO? PEOPLE GO, CARS GO WHAT'S 1WAY1, WHAT'S 2 WAYS? HOW MANY LANES WE HAVE? IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR ME TO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME.
YOU KNOW, IT IS A GEOMETRICALLY COMPLEX AREA.
AND SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT JUST LISTENING TO THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
I APPRECIATE THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES. MISS CADENA. I HAVE 1 MORE QUESTION. SO ON THE CEREMONIAL DRIVE WHERE THE LITTLE DOTS ARE SO THERE'S NOT A STREET THERE RIGHT NOW, IT WILL LAND NEED TO BE ACQUIRED FOR THAT OR IN A ROAD PUT IN.
SO SOME OF THAT IS CONNECTED TO THAT TXN BUILDING PROPERTY THAT WAS PART OF THAT FIRST PURCHASE ALONG FROM THE CHARTER HOLDINGS. OKAY. THANK YOU. MISS MENDELSOHN, THANK YOU.
SO THE 3.3 BILLION FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, DOES IT INCLUDE THIS WORK? I'M SORRY, I TURNED IT OFF. I APOLOGIZE, I SAID NOT ALL OF IT.
WE'LL HAVE TO COST THIS OUT AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD PLANNED WAS IN APRIL 2ND MEETING, I BELIEVE I'LL HAVE TO VERIFY THE DATE WITH SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM COG, SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE STATE, TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN ACQUIRE SOME MONEY TO FINISH THIS OUT, DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF IT.
PART OF 1.A. WAS THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A LITTLE LESS EXPENSIVE.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE OPTIONS AND GO INTO, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, TO GET IT RIGHT, AND LET'S MAKE SURE AND IT MAY COST MORE. SO OUR REQUEST MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT ABOUT FUTURE FUNDING BECAUSE THIS WILL HAPPEN OVER PHASES, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN ALL IN 1 TRANCHE. SO YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT FUNDING FROM THE COG.
THE COG HAS NOT APPROVED THIS. THE RTC HASN'T APPROVED IT.
IT'S NOT THE PLAN. IT'S NOT YET GUARANTEED. AND SO BUT TO LOOKING FUTURE FORWARD AT THE POTENTIAL FOR WHAT KIND OF FUNDING WE COULD HAVE FOR AN ENDEAVOR LIKE THIS. THIS IS A DIFFICULT WAY, YOU JUST SAID IT.
IT'S LIKE NEVER EVEN BEEN ON AN AGENDA. ABSOLUTELY.
SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PAY FOR THIS PART OF THIS? THE THE COMPONENT THAT HAD TO DO WITH 1.A. MUCH OF THOSE STREETS WERE ALREADY COVERED AND CONSIDERED IN THE PLAN.
SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL WORK.ABSOLUTELY. I'D HAVE TO BRING THAT BACK TO YOU.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I DO HAVE AN IDEA. I DON'T WANT TO QUOTE WRONG AND THEN THAT'S MEMORIALIZED.
LET ME GO BACK AND GIVE YOU THE EXACT PERCENTAGE.
SO I'D LIKE THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT. YOU SAID THIS IS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE OPTION.
WHY DON'T YOU TELL US WHAT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS FOR ALL THE OPTIONS? OKAY. BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A GUESSTIMATE.
THEY'VE NOT BEEN THERE'S DESIGN WORK IN SOME OF THESE.
SO THERE'S GUESSWORK IF WE'RE LOOKING AT STUFF THAT HAS INTENSIVE DESIGN.
WE'VE BECOME VERY ACCUSTOMED TO GUESSWORK LATELY.
[01:20:04]
SO IF YOU CAN TELL US WHO'S MAKING THAT ESTIMATE AND THEIR CONFIDENCE LEVEL IN THE ESTIMATE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL BUT TO NOT UNDERSTAND THE DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING INTO THIS AND THEN HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE PAID FOR, BECAUSE THE RTC ALREADY HAS THEIR BUDGET LAID OUT.I MEAN, EVERY DOLLAR IS ACCOUNTED FOR. SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THERE'S MAGICALLY GOING TO BE MONEY AND ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US ON THE RTC, YOU KNOW, $180 MILLION WAS JUST COMMITTED TO TRANSIT.
THAT'S ALSO THE COST OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THIS THING'S ALREADY GOING TO COST 5 BILLION.
I MEAN, I HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT $1 BET WITH SOMEBODY THAT THIS IS GOING TO GO UP TO A BILLION.
IT'S JUST THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO BREAK ALL THESE LITTLE PIECES OFF.
LET'S DO THIS CONVENTION CENTER RIGHT. WHY DON'T YOU ALSO TELL US THE COST OF 500 MILLION TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING, AND HOW THAT CHANGES WHAT THE ROADWAY ISSUES ARE? SURE. WE CAN PROVIDE THAT. I THINK WE PROVIDED THAT ACTUALLY IN JANUARY.
I CAN GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE THINGS WERE.
THAT WE PUT IT IN THE MATRIX. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BECOME APPARENT THAT AS A LONG TERM STRATEGY, WE'RE PROBABLY JUST BETTER OFF DOING THE CONVENTION CENTER RIGHT AND THEN GETTING THE TRANSPORTATION RIGHT.
AND SO ANYHOW, I JUST I GUESS I'M DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THAT THAT ISN'T PART OF THE 3.3 BILLION.
THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, ROSA AND TEAM.
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM C, WHICH IS AN UPCOMING AGENDA ITEM FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE DFW AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION AND FIRE PREVENTION STANDARD. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEMORANDUM FROM DFW AIRPORT? SEEING NONE, THERE IS A SERIES OF CONSENT COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS FOR WEDNESDAY.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ABOUT THOSE? SEEING NONE, IT IS NOW 4:02 P.M. AND THIS WILL ADJOURN THE TRANSPORTATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.