Blogs

Attend what? Go to their website - ain't shit going on at the LCC.

It is a slight misrepresentation to say TIF funds are made up of "tax money taken out of the general fund -- the money we use to pay for cops, sewers, libraries, frou-frous like that." What you failed to note is that, without the TIF, this tax money wouldn't exist. Look at this way. Before a TIF, a property is valued at XXX dollars and pays property taxes into the general fund based on that valuation. After a TIF is created amd development begins, that property increases in valued to YYY dollars. Only the difference in taxes collected between the two valuations goes into the TIF fund to pay for items like the development agreement with Margaux City Lights Partners.

theater peeps that have worked in that space say it is ill designed, ill planned, and a horror to work a production out of it.

would a parking garage not make it easier for cars to get broken into??

or does a security team and system come with it?

PJW

Jim: Why schedule an event if you don't have a parking garage? They've been waiting five years for that garage. It's obviously a gringo plot to destroy their culture...

Given that they're building the Deep Ellum train station at Live Oak and Good Latimer, it makes some sense to expand the TIF to include the station, and the adjacent properties.

The piece of property in question has been abandoned by the city for nearly a decade; to the extent that the code enforcement people have sited the property for being overgrown. Multiple times. The city has tried and failed to sell that land, but why they need a single bidder process for something they know there's only one bidder for is a mystery. It's $3.3M, so I'm not going to argue so much.

As for the parking garage, that seems like it's being built for the more train station that's in front of the LCC since DART has no provision for parking at this station. The LCC has a fairly good sized flat lot, so I can't think of many reasons why someone would want to add more parking for it by itself. No one is saying that the parking structure is for DART, but that could be because it could cause us to ask why DART's not paying for it.

Isn't that parking structure going to be about 2 blocks from the new DART station?

For an aboslutely stellar example of the wrong-thinking behind TIFs, see Pete Oppel's comment above.

Pete: you say, "What you failed to note is that, without the TIF, this tax money wouldn't exist." O.K., if that is the logic -- that a TIF is an incentive to create development that otherwise would not occur -- then why would you extend a TIF to cover stuff that already does exist or is going to exist? If it's already on the ground or in the pipeline, then you don't need to incentivize it. What you need to do in that case is tax it, the same as you tax my house.

Here is what I want to know: why do we entrust the financial destiny of our city to people who couldn't pass Logic 101?

The problem with TIF's is that they are now looked upon as just another method of municipal finance rather than a method to increase economic growth in an economically disadvantaged area. In years past this garage would have been built by either general obligation or revenue bonds.

I read the city agenda item (#41) and unless I read it wrong, it states on pp. 690 Section 6 that City Lights will be paying for the parking garage. The $5 mil increase is for "improvements" to the LCC. I don't begrudge City Lights for being the sole bidder on the last piece of land they wanted for their fancy schmancy project. Afterall, they're required to put in at least $75 mil in (taxable) improvements (+ the garage) which will include 110,000sf of retail and 350 units.
I think the LCC got lumped in to the TIFF because they needed to get to the City Lights land without leaving a hole in the TIFF.

The City Lights land has a 'for sale' sign on it....am I missing something? I thought it was dead in the water.

What I like about the tif is it is called the "Deep Ellum" tif district, but the heart of deep ellum is excluded.

http://www.dallas-edd.org/images/community_redevelopment/area_redevelopment/tif/deepellum_map.pdf

My understanding is the lines were drawn around a specific property owner's land who was suing the city at the time. But it's like a knitting circle down here, so who knows the truth.

I go to art shows at the Hispanic Cultural Center and I think they do good things, but a parking garage for their exclusive use seems a bit much. There has been a ton rumblings about wheeling and dealing property so there's no telling what the real reason is.

I do believe that a parking garage closer in to the core of Deep Ellum would do some real good. Dart has been presented as the solution for all problems, but chicks don't do guy who ride the bus (period).

You all have it wrong - the City Lights build will revitalize the area, and with any luck improve attendance at the LCC.

This is urgently needed for east dallas, I for one think this land is more attractive than uptown due to the proximity to the arts district AND the spectacular downtown views.

Quit complaining and LET PROGRESS HAPPEN!

My reading of the deal is that City Lights get paid back for the cost of building the garage.
For Mark, who says quit complaining and let progress happen. Mark, progress IS happening. It's great. But the public still needs a steward of its interests who won't trade the family cow for a handful of magic beans every time he goes to market.

these people are followers. nobody is effin going to the LCC. Offer free shuttle from any place in the city if someone wants to go. The streets of whatever ahve nothing to do with it. one of these days this will be popular but it's on the effin rail! parking?
who cares for parking? i'll take the train, go to fair park, stop before at the LCC, see a movie at the new park and central dev on the way home. as a side note a friend of mine from the n.o. and he said y'all prob have as much corrup in dal as we do in no but we have less to report therefore...

You guys c'mon. Stop trying to make Dallas "happen."