Sunday, December 1, 2024

Good evening:

A controversial plan to sell public sidewalk space for digital advertising boards comes back to City Council for a briefing this week.

The “digital kiosk program” has been in conversations around City Hall for about two years, including a botched Request for Proposals (RFP) process that was voided by City Council members in February.

It wasn’t until interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert took over in May — and the original City staff members pushing the proposal left Dallas — that the process began to take a more balanced approach. Tolbert ensured her team did true community engagement, which was lacking the first time around.

Tolbert’s team also presented detailed information about existing advertising on public sidewalks to help inform any decisions about future advertising. Like the fact that Dallas already has 137 large static circular kiosks, mostly in Downtown, that are part of a 20-year contract that does not expire until June 2028. You can hardly see Downtown on the above map because it is drowning in sidewalk advertising.

City staff has now come up with several options for City Council consideration, including:

• Say no to to the digital ad kiosks altogether, following the recommendations of almost every major stakeholder group, including Downtown Dallas, Inc. 

• Say yes to digital ad kiosks, and:

  • Allow for them to be erected on sidewalks even before the City’s existing sidewalk advertising spaceships go away in 2028.

  • Void the static ad kiosk contract early and pay an estimated $875,000 in termination fees.

  • Wait to install them until after the existing static advertising contract expires in 2028.

Five City Council members have signaled opposition to the digital ad program, led by Council member Paul E. Ridley, who represents a portion of Downtown. He and Council members Jaynie Schultz, Chad West, Carolyn King Arnold, and Cara Mendelsohn ensured by way of this October memo that the full City Council gets another opportunity to weigh in on the matter.

We will get a sense on Wednesday of where the rest of the City Council members stand.

Read The Digital Kiosk Program Briefing

Read on for more on:

• A proposed vaping ban, just in time for the holiday season.

• A $103 million West End development proposal inching toward City Council.

• FIFA World Cup 2026 updates, including big plans for Downtown.

Meetings of Interest:Dec. 2 - 6, 2024

Watch City of Dallas Meetings Live

Monday, December 2

City Council Parks, Trails & Environment Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— Dallas City Council members are expected to vote on Dec. 11 on whether to add vaping to the City’s existing ban on smoking in public spaces. Read more in this memo and the draft ordinance, which are up for discussion during this committee meeting. The ban has been in the works for well over a year.

Landmark Commission, Briefing at 9:30 a.m., Public Hearing at 1 p.m., 6ES Briefing Room, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

Dallas Convention Center Hotel Development Corporation Board, 10 a.m., Omni Dallas Hotel, Arts District 7, 2nd Floor, 555 S Lamar St, Dallas

— This meeting includes updates on the Downtown convention center redevelopment, as well as FIFA World Cup 2026 planning.

City Council Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— Committee members will be briefed on a proposed $49 million City subsidy for the $103 million West End Lofts project, a mixed-use, mixed-income, and transit-oriented development at 805 Elm Street, 711 Elm Street, and 211 N. Austin Street. Read more in this briefing.

Dallas City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention, 4 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— The City is finalizing a $15 million agreement to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 International Broadcast Center (IBC) at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas in Downtown, according to this briefing. The City Council is expected to vote on the contract, including funding for capital improvements, at its Dec. 11 meeting. A press conference is expected to be held the same day to formally announce Dallas as the IBC host.

This is a big win for Downtown, with thousands of international sports broadcast journalists expected to be based here during the 2026 matches. The Dallas Morning News reported earlier this year on what it means for Dallas to host the IBC. Fair Park played host to the 1994 World Cup IBC.

Meanwhile, Downtown’s Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station or the soon-to-be-vacated Greyhound bus terminal could play host to a FIFA World Cup 2026 ticketing center, according to this presentation.

Tuesday, December 3

City Council Quality of Life, Arts & Culture Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— Committee members are exploring how other cities have successfully integrated public libraries into multi-use facilities that include recreation, health services, retail, even housing. Read more.

— Here’s an update on what KERA is doing to boost the City-owned classical music station WRR. KERA assumed management of the station last year.

— Annual funding for the Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) is expected back on the City Council agenda on Dec. 11. The possible vote comes amid ongoing controversy over the DBDT decision to fire and replace its dancers in August. This memo outlines a possible path forward while the City awaits a ruling from the National Labor Relations Board. The unfortunate saga even made The New York Times earlier this year.

City of Dallas Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, 9 a.m., Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI) Board Room, 1401 Elm St., Suite 500

— The nonprofit board will consider approval of its strategic plan, as well as a marketing campaign concept, among other items. The EDC, led by Linda McMahon, is temporarily sharing office space with DDI at The National building on Elm Street.  

City Council Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— Dallas Love Field airport needs to grow. An ongoing master plan process has led to four potential alternatives for City Council members to consider. Read the briefing.

— Without updated water conservation, supply, and management strategies, we won’t have enough water to meet demand in the coming decades. That is why Dallas City Council members will consider proposed new strategies on Dec. 11. Read more about it.

— Those six-wheeled robots we told you about a few weeks ago could be delivering your Uber Eats order in Downtown as soon as this month, according to this briefing. Avride, the company behind the robots and autonomous vehicles, is currently conducting mapping with the robots in Downtown.

Wednesday, December 4

City Council Briefing Meeting, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

— The previously noted digital advertising kiosk briefing is on this agenda.

— Deloitte will present state-mandated independent audit findings on the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System (DPFP) and the Employees’ Retirement Fund (ERF).

— A newly launched “Clean Sweep! Program” targets public rights-of-way with more frequent mowing, litter removal, and encampment cleanup. Read more.

Thursday, December 5

City Plan Commission, 8 a.m. Briefing, 12:30 p.m. Public Hearing, 6ES Briefing Room and Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street

— Item 21 is an application for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for Club Vivo at the southwest corner of North Harwood Street and Pacific Avenue. CPC previously recommended the permit be denied, but City Council members later voted to send the matter back to CPC for another look. The club owner is attorney Kevin Kelley, who also owns the nearby Kitchen + Kocktails.

— Item 25 is ongoing discussion of proposed changes to off-street parking requirements, including the potential elimination of some parking minimums tied to developments. Read more about the proposed changes from KERA.

Did we miss anything? Do you have any questions? Just want to talk about meetings? Let me know.

Were you forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here.Have a great week.

Best,Scott Goldstein

Communications & Government Relations Consultant

Downtown Dallas, Inc.

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