 Dear Friends,
2013 is evolving into one of the better years for the Oak Cliff Chamber and the greater Oak Cliff area that we serve. The following is just a sampling of the many positive changes that are making this a banner year for the greater Oak Cliff area:
- Sylvan | Thirty project has started construction of the new retail center and apartments, including the new Cox Farms market
- Alta West Davis, an upscale residential facility, is finishing construction and is leasing up at a faster-than-expected rate
- Southwest Center Mall has achieved over 90% occupancy, a dramatic turnaround from a few years ago
- The Canyon project, the 240 acre retail/office/residential development at I-30 and Westmoreland, took a giant step forward with the start of the construction of their new service roads along the freeway
- The Urban Village is nearing completion on Lancaster bringing new retail and residential options across from the Veterans Hospital
- The construction of the Trinity Groves project in West Dallas is progressing and moving towards an opening later this year
- DART is ahead of schedule on their plans to bring light rail to the UNT Dallas campus with service on track (pun intended) for 2016
- Streetcar construction has started with an expanded route that will stretch from the convention center downtown to Bishop Arts District. Efforts are still working to bring it all the way to Jefferson Blvd.
But that is not all! There are a lot of other projects that this Chamber is involved with that are working their way forward and should be announced in the near future. Stay tuned... The Chamber, itself, is also having a great year. We are continuing our networking events like Wake Up Dallas or Business After-Hours so that our members can make new connections, and we continue to have many informative events and programs. For example, the upcoming Healthcare Summit, focusing on the impact of healthcare reform on small businesses and the medical industry, or the Lunch & Learn program that will give important tips on how to pass your business on to your family members or key employees. In addition, we are also ramping up our efforts to influence the legislative and regulatory policies of our local, state and national governments. We have been recognized in statewide publications as one of the first business organizations to push for getting Texas enrolled in the expanded Medicaid program being funded by the federal government. We have also worked closely with Rep. Eric Johnson who has introduced a bill that would stop the state and the city from continuing to over-concentrate their low-income housing projects in Oak Cliff. Our biggest news, however, is much closer to home. The Chamber is under contract to purchase a building for its new offices! Located at 1001 N. Bishop, our new location will be over 4,000 square feet and, after a renovation, will include a community meeting room and some executive suites that can be leased to our members. While we still have many issues to resolve, not the least of which is getting the property re-zoned to allow for its use as an office (it was previously used as a medical clinic), we are excited at the prospect of a permanent home for the Chamber.
All of this and much more make it an extremely exciting year for Oak Cliff!
Best wishes,
Scott Chase, Lawyer 2013 Board of Directors Chair |
