Meetings of Interest: Sunday, May 21, 2023

Meetings of Interest: 🛣 I-345 Vote

May 21, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Dear

:

It is the final countdown to a decision that is more than a decade in the making: what to do with the aging elevated highway that runs between Downtown and Deep Ellum.

Last week, both the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the full City Council were briefed on the project. This Wednesday, the City Council will vote on whether to pursue the "Refined Hybrid" proposal that would trench the highway and provide potential decking and park opportunities above it.

and DDI supports it -- as long as the following guiding principles are incorporated:

  • Prioritize pedestrian movements

  • Accommodate appropriate infrastructure for future decking

  • Accommodate multi-modal connections to include DART, bicycles, and micromobility

  • Improve the street grid and connectivity between Downtown and Deep Ellum

  • Minimize the impacts to Carpenter Park

  • Incorporate appropriate elements from DDI's strategic 360 Plan and TxDOT's CityMAP

Also on the Wednesday agenda is an alternate plan to delay a decision and instead conduct another study on the 1.4-mile highway, as

. That could take up to another year.

Read on for more about I-345 and everything else the DDI team is tracking this week ...

 City of Dallas

📝 First, a City Hall memo of interest:

  • Shared motorized scooters and bikes are coming back sooner than expected, with a "soft launch" this Wednesday, May 24, and the official launch on May 31. More information on the launch and new regulations are contained in this memo. And even more on how we got here from the prolific Matt Goodman of D Magazine.

  • Check out all the weekly City Manager Memos here.

Learn more about the new and improved shared dockless vehicle program.

Monday, May 22

🏘

,

9 a.m., City Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall

  • A briefing on 2024 Bond Program needs from the Office of Homeless Solutions says building equipment at The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center in Downtown is "nearing the end of its useful life and repairs are costly." Upgrades and a potential expansion of The Bridge would cost an estimated $4.7 million. The briefing also notes that 99.9% of the $20 million approved by voters in the 2017 bond for transitional and permanent supportive housing has been spent.

 

    📑

    ,

    11 a.m., City Council Briefing Room, 6ES, Dallas City Hall

    💹

    ,

    1 p.m., City Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall

    • Some fresh metrics here on residential and commercial development permitting. The recent ransomware attack has forced the department to only accept paper submissions, according to the memo.

    • A financial plan update for the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Master Plan and Fair Park improvements. No briefing materials are being posted in advance on this one.

    • Here's a simple breakdown of the City's ad valorem tax rate and exemptions available to Dallas residents:

    Wednesday, May 24

    🏛

    ,

    9 a.m., City Council Chambers

    • Item 19: A resolution of support for the Interstate 345 "refined hybrid option," which would start the next chapter on one of the most significant -- and potentially transformative -- transportation projects in the history of Downtown.

      • Item 33: A $300,000 one-year extension of the Park & Recreation Department's contract with Dallas Heritage Society to run Old City Park in the Cedars, south of Downtown. The Dallas Park & Recreation Board approved the measure earlier this month.

      • Item 41: An alternate resolution on Interstate 345 that would pause a decision on the path forward in favor of up to another year of study.

      • Item 44: Amendments to the City's Code of Ethics, including: requiring a disclosure for those who were paid to work on councilmember campaigns when representing interests before the city council; creating an offense for disclosing confidential information; prohibiting campaign/political consultants from lobbying councilmembers for one year following an election; amending the standard of proof to be a preponderance of the evidence.

      • Item 46: Agreements for the SoGood Cedars and the NewPark Municipal Management Districts (MMDs) to avoid automatic expiration. Hoque Global says the MMDs are key for their developments to move forward. DDI is proud to support Hoque Global's transformative Downtown plans.

      Thursday, May 25

      💳

      ,

      6 p.m. various locations at Dallas City Hall

      • Second round of meetings of the City Council-appointed bond task force and subcommittees that will make recommendations later this year on a 2024 bond package.

      Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)

      Tuesday, May 23

      🚉

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      1:30 p.m. Committee-of-the-Whole | 6:00 p.m. DART Board of Directors, Board Room, 1401 Pacific Ave., Dallas

      Downtown Dallas Quote of the Week

       

      DDI Mobility Committee Chair Allan Zreet on the need to incorporate DDI principles into the I-345 hybrid plan:

      "We are committed to continue to work with all the stakeholders involved to make sure that all these principles are incorporated as the project advances, and especially committed to connectivity between Downtown and Deep Ellum and having a pedestrian-centered urban environment as the outcome of the project."

       

      Did we miss anything? Do you have any questions?

      .

      Thanks and have a great week in Downtown Dallas!

      Best,

      Scott GoldsteinChief of External Affairs & Government RelationsDowntown Dallas, Inc.

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