FrontBurner

No one wants to discuss what is happening with the vacant Albertson’s at Lemmon and McKinney in Uptown after years of excitement about a massive mixed-use project anchored by a Central Market.

The property remains vacant at one of the busiest corners of Uptown, with its high fence and deteriorating parking lot begging for development. After a much-hyped announcement about a residential tower near the upscale grocer, it appears most likely that the property’s future will be a Central Market built on the existing footprint of the old Albertson’s grocery store.

Two years ago, the ambitious proposal made headlines. The Dallas Business Journal reported in February 2022 that developer KDC would break ground that April on the $295 million project, which, according to a filing with the state of Texas, was supposed to include 1.7 million square feet of total space with three stories of office and another 23 levels of multifamily. Five stories of multifamily was also in the plans for an adjacent mid-rise building. The anchor tenant was a Central Market and included a four-story underground parking garage. 

Now two years later, there has been no movement on a project that was supposed to be finished in 2025. First announced by developer KDC in 2018, the original plans included an office tower and hotel. Next, it was set to be part of Central Market parent company HEB’s expansion into North Texas. HEB has opened several stores in North Texas suburbs, and still has plans for a Central Market in Oak Cliff near the Bishop Arts District. The company is also building several of HEB’s discount locations, Joe V’s Smart Shop. 

When the mysterious “Project X” appeared on a Dallas City Council committee agenda in late March, we (along with a lot of other people) began guessing about who it involved. Council members were tight-lipped because the discussion involved attorneys and was held in closed session.

Maybe the Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention and the Council Economic Development Committee was discussing strategies to keep the Mavs in town past their 2030 lease end with American Airlines Center.

Or maybe Mayor Eric Johnson’s interest in the negotiations around the Kansas City Chiefs’ stadium in Kansas City was a Dallas Texans shaped clue. 

And then the city announced that the Dallas Wings would move from Arlington to Dallas, where they will begin playing at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Memorial Arena after the 2025 season. That was surely Project X, right?

No. No it was not. The Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention had another meeting about Project X last week. We confirmed then that Project X was not Wings-related. We entertained a few other potential theories — another MLS franchise, or maybe cricket.

But maybe our long local speculation is finally at an end. The Council is set to vote on a deal that would allow a new professional sports team to use the Cotton Bowl for its season, with the city providing an annual subsidy “not to exceed $296,000 per year” for the next two years to Fair Park First and operators Oak View Group for expenses related to accommodating the new team.

The resolution the Council will vote on doesn’t name the team, but the Dallas Morning News floated the idea that it was the Dallas franchise for a new women’s pro-soccer league—the USL Super League. Nobody would comment on the record, and when we asked the PR firm associated with the as-yet unnamed Dallas club if this was Project X and if the team would be calling the Cotton Bowl home, but they also could not confirm that Project X and the Dallas USL Super League team were one and the same.

“It’s my understanding that Project X has been used historically to refer to different projects through the years,” said Angela Lang with Tony Fay PR.

Here’s what we do know:

I am a history professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. At 4:03 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1, I was arrested along with 20 other faculty, students, alumni, and community members.

Fifteen minutes earlier, university administrators released a statement assuring the protection of peaceful student protest and freedom of speech. Along with this assurance came an immediate order to disperse a student-created “Gaza Liberation” encampment calling for the university to divest from five weapons companies responsible for the systematic killing of Palestinian people. As a historian, I teach my students about the importance of citing sources with clarity and specificity, so I noticed that the order did not reference any specific campus policies. Still, I attempted to comply.

A ring of students locked arms and sat calmly at the center of the encampment. A colleague and I stood silently well outside the encampment but between the students and the army of riot-gear-clad state troopers, who were flanked by officers from at least four other law enforcement agencies. They massed in front of what appeared to be a tank. Behind us, another professor implored the advancing officers that force was unnecessary. I had no illusion that an out-of-shape, middle-aged professor could actually offer physical protection for my students, but I believe in peaceful protest. This was my attempt to demonstrate disapproval of an extreme and unnecessary show of force. For this, I was arrested with 20 others. We face up to six months in jail on charges of criminal trespassing at the university where we study, teach, and learn.

Will Evans is really into books. In 2013, unable to restrain himself, he started a publishing house specializing in translations called Deep Vellum. A couple of years later, he opened a bookstore in Deep Ellum with the same name (3000 Commerce St., 469-781-4881). In recognition of his obsessive efforts, this month the French government is bestowing on him the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

What exactly is a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and does it get you through TSA faster? It’s a knighthood, and it goes through the French Ministry of Culture. We have more books in translation from French than any other publisher in the history of the English language. We’ve brought a lot of French authors to the U.S., and we’ve hosted a lot of French authors at the bookstore. In terms of TSA, though, they haven’t given me the list of benefits yet. I was hoping it would let me cut in line at the Louvre or get me 20 percent off at Shakespeare and Company. But it’s my first knighthood. It’s not one to be trifled with.   

Women’s Soccer Coming to Cotton Bowl? We’ve been speculating what Project X is, the mysterious item that keeps showing up on the agenda for the Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention. Looks like we’ve got our answer: a team in the new women’s USL Super League. The full Council is scheduled to vote tomorrow on whether to spend $300,000 per season to bring an unnamed team to the Cotton Bowl for 16 home games, and the as yet unnamed local team will hold an event at Klyde Warren Park Thursday to reveal itself. Everton Bailey Jr. got a bunch of “no comment”s from all involved, but he seems to have solved the mystery.

Dallas Has Low Unemployment. Ever heard of the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity? It analyzes “true unemployment,” which differs from the official rate of unemployment in ways that are important but which I will not go into here because it’s early and I’m only halfway awake. In any case, Axios lets us know that Dallas is among the metro areas with the lowest true unemployment.

Sports Sophie’s Choice Tonight. the Mavs and Stars both play tonight at 8:30. Remember when I asked the trenchant question: “Which game gets the sound in the bar?” Hope you got it figured out.

Hi-Line Drive is an odd little circulator through the Design District, four lanes with wide sidewalks and a wider median that guides cars and pedestrians past shopping centers, restaurants, apartments, and a hotel. Its median will soon be a key connecting point for the 50-mile Loop Trail, which will eventually tie the Katy Trail from Victory Park to trails along the Trinity River.

Eventually. The project’s construction has gobbled the intersection at Oak Lawn, making it difficult—and honestly pretty treacherous—for pedestrians to cross the road. The crosswalks have vanished and large portions of the sidewalk have either been torn up and filled with dirt or are being used to hold pipes and other construction detritus. Last Friday, a truck was parked in one of the closed-off lanes, another obstacle to crossing. The often-busy Oak Lawn is down to two lanes of traffic in either direction, divided by traffic bollards. The good news? Philip Hiatt Haigh, the executive director of the Loop Dallas, tells me if the weather plays nice, the project could be complete by the end of the month. The construction began in January. (The city manages construction contracts for projects in the public right of way.)

It’s ironic how a project that will greatly improve accessibility and safety for pedestrians and cyclists has presently turned a busy intersection into Frogger, forcing walkers to enter the construction just to avoid the cars streaming from points north and south. I’ve asked the city why this project didn’t include safe access for pedestrians, considering the construction has eaten up the crosswalks and some of the sidewalks. I’ll update it when I hear back.

Until then, here’s some photos of the mess.

Back in September, senior editor S. Holland Murphy, staff photographer Elizabeth Lavin, and I hopped on a flight to Botswana to visit an elephant orphanage built by Debra Stevens, a Dallas art framer. Holland and Elizabeth told the incredible story in the May issue, which, if you don’t already have it, you should pick up on a magazine rack near you. I was so moved by the whole thing that I wanted to try to find a way to help.

Here’s what I came up with: I’d like to invite you to spend an intimate evening Saturday, June 1 at my home with Holland, Elizabeth, and the founders of Elephant Havens, Debra and her husband, Scott Jackson. While they regale you with tales of baby elephant rescues and lion invasions, I’ll serve you South African G&Ts and a sit-down Botswanan feast. I only have room at my table for 12 subscribers, so spots will go fast. All of the proceeds from the event will go directly to Elephant Havens. (The cost of food, gin, and South African wine is my own contribution.) Get your tickets here.

What’s included for $350 per person:

6 p.m.: Sitatunga Sundowner

When the sun begins to dip behind the acacia trees in the Okavanga Delta, it is time for a safari sundowner. The now ubiquitous happy hour tradition started in the 18^th century, when British officers decided to add a little pomp and circumstance (and gin) to their daily medicinal quinine consumption.

For our version, we’ll be enjoying a selection of salty snacks, from caviar to nuts, paired with G&Ts prepared with your choice of one of South Africa’s top gins. Or, if you prefer whiskey, we’ll also be serving a signature legapu cocktail (or mocktail).

As we gather around the evening fire, Debra and her husband, Scott, will share their story of how Elephant Havens came to be and provide updates on their current brood of elephant babies.

7 p.m.: Dinner Under the Baobab Tree

To be fair, in this case it’s a Texas pecan tree, but we will re-create the magic of an alfresco Botswanan dinner under the stars. Holland and Elizabeth will give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to spend a week at Elephant Havens and report on what is sure to be an award-winning story. The traditional grilled braai feast will include Texas beef, authentic Boerewors sausage, Botswanan sides, and a selection of South African wines.

8:30 p.m.: Tsamaya Sentle

Peruse a selection of limited-edition signed prints by Elizabeth that will be available for purchase (with all proceeds going to Elephant Havens) and take advantage of her big-game (photo) shooting tips while enjoying coffee or an Amarula cream liqueur digestif with your coconut and cardamom cake.

Bond Package Overwhelmingly Approved. All propositions got at least 70 percent of the vote, even with vocal pushback on two of them from a council member and one from an activist group.

Stars and Mavs Advance. Thanks to goals from Wyatt Johnston in the first and Radek Faksa in the third, the Stars took down the defending Stanley Cup champs in Game 7. If I am reading this correctly, the Stars face off against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Tuesday, the same night the Mavs begin their second round series in Oklahoma City, after they defeated the Clippers on Friday night. We will get you set up for all of that on StrongSide.

Fair Park First Reverses Decision; CEO Brian Luallen Now on Paid Leave. The nonprofit’s board had a special meeting on Sunday and changed course. Instead of going their separate ways, as a result of the meeting Luallen is now on a 45-day paid leave of absence while he undergoes a performance evaluation. Alyssa Arnold, Fair Park First’s chief impact officer, is acting CEO. None of this makes the goings on over there any less curious.

Michael Irvin Out at NFL Network. He’d been there since 2009. I believe we can find a desk for the Playmaker at D HQ.

Editor’s Note: The story below was written after midnight on May 5, when the only available election data for Collin County was not complete. The story below has been updated to reflect that 1,882 voters in Collin cast a ballot for propositions C and H . Prop C received 44 percent support and Prop H received 37 percent, which meant Collin voters did not approve each proposition.

It was a very late night (or an early morning) for bleary-eyed Dallas poll watchers Saturday. By 10 p.m., less than 4 percent of the city’s vote centers had reported returns. 

But it almost didn’t matter. The main event—10 bond propositions totaling $1.25 billion—had such a commanding lead after early voting that bond proponents were already claiming victory well before the 10 p.m. newscasts started.

By midnight, every bond proposition had at least 70 percent of the vote among city voters within Dallas County. Some had upwards of 80 percent. Dallas voters living in Denton and Collin counties approved most propositions, but voted against storm drainage (C) and housing infrastructure (H). They also weren’t as bullish on propositions that addressed arts and cultural facilities.

In 1980, a few years before he became the architecture critic for the Dallas Morning News, the late David Dillon asked a bold question in our pages: Why is Dallas’ architecture so bad? Near the end of the story, he quoted Henry Cobb, one of the architects of One Dallas Center.

“Dallas is now at a crossroads in its development. On the one hand, it has to avoid purely arbitrary invention, mere thingery; on the other, it has to avoid creating dozens of homogenized buildings that are simply dropped onto a site and left. The goal is to create a true urban context.”

Back then, the downtown Arts District was just a proposal. Famed architect I.M. Pei had already built City Hall and Cobb was responsible for One Dallas Center while working for Pei’s firm. Philip Johnson had Thanks-Giving Square, but much of downtown Dallas was designed by local architects. Dillon writes in his story that about 20 percent of the 900-acre “central core” was undeveloped. “The city is up for grabs architecturally.” He says, “Although there is an estimated $300 million in new construction in downtown Dallas, there are few good buildings.”

He leads with the positive, the shimmering Hyatt Regency, a “clear statement about the city,” “chic, glittery, futuristic” that calls up images of affluence, high fashion, and self-confidence.” Who was responsible for it? Seattle native Welton Becket.

This sentence from Dillon could have been written last year: “A city that gives tickets for jaywalking and sleeping on benches in front of City Hall and forces street vendors to sell food prepared and wrapped in some sanitary kitchen 10 miles away doesn’t really understand urban life, however well it may understand ordinances.”

As could this: “Like most southwestern cities, Dallas has developed an unnatural dependency on the automobile, generally at the expense of street life. Historically, downtown Dallas was a highly urbane place, with shops, hotels, and offices organized into a tight, cohesive fabric. At the moment, Dallas is mainly a series of towering glass boxes interrupted by parking lots. Visitors are constantly surprised to find sidewalks suddenly playing out in mid-stride, or else being sliced in two by a major traffic artery.”

Now let’s jump 44 years into the present. The current News architecture critic, Mark Lamster, dwelled on a similar topic just last month: “How to Make Dallas Architecture Less Boring.” He landed on the idea that the city needs its own architecture school, perhaps housed in one of our now-empty office towers that Dillon wrote about in 1980.

We still have a parking dependency problem. It still is an awful experience walking around downtown, all of which Lamster—and we at D Magazine—have explored in recent years. There have been positive strides, too, perhaps most notably the transition of downtown surface parking lots into parks and greenspace. “You can count on the fingers of one hand the number of downtown commercial buildings that acknowledge the existence of a pedestrian public,” Dillon wrote.

“Why Is Dallas Architecture So Bad?” is one of the 50 greatest stories we’ve ever published, in part because it is both time capsule and warning, one that we have heeded in some ways and ignored in many others. Nearly half a century later, and the newspaper’s architecture critic is still pulling at the same threads Dillon did in our pages.

The kicker of his story lines up with Lamster’s recent piece. I’m going to spoil it for you.

Louis Kahn, designer of the Kimbell Art Museum, once described a city as “a place where a small boy, as he walks through it, may see something that will tell him what he wants to do his whole life.” Perhaps in a few years, if the choices that are made now are enlightened instead of expedient, a small boy will look up at the Dallas skyline and decide that he wants to become an architect.