Dallas, TX
The University of Dallas teams up with KDC to transform 67.3 acres of Irving campus
The University of Dallas has turned to a local developer to maximize its campus holdings in Irving.
The Catholic liberal arts university is working with commercial real estate developer KDC, which has a long history of building office campuses in Irving, such as Wells Fargo’s forthcoming regional hub, and across Dallas-Fort Worth.
However, that’s not what is on deck for the more than 67 acres across State Highway 114 from the University of Dallas’ main campus.
Instead, the parties propose data center space.
A zoning application submitted to the city of Irving illustrates the University of Dallas and KDC don’t believe zoned uses for the land — office and multifamily — are feasible.
The current office market, especially following habits formed during the pandemic, have limited opportunities for new office development for the foreseeable future, according to the application.
“The recently adopted ‘work-from-home’ lifestyle has rendered most office buildings sparsely occupied and their future uncertain,” the application said. “Given the unachievable zoning demands, the University Property cannot be developed without being re-zoned.”
A data center use is more economically feasible for the university, with the additional considerations of new school district tax revenues, low traffic impact and the addition of high-tech jobs, the application indicated.
The University of Dallas and KDC said that the low-built data center structures would not harm the feel of the adjacent Our Lady of Dallas Cistercian Abbey, which is adjacent to the site. Cistercian Preparatory School is also near the proposed site.
Most of the acreage sits at the northeast corner of State Highway 114 and Braniff Drive, while the remaining 21 acres are on the northwest corner.
The application pitches 770,000 square feet of data center space, showing that this use would generate approximately $8.2 million in property taxes and business personal property taxes annually for Irving.
The University of Dallas has an undergraduate enrollment of 1,500 students and a graduate student enrollment of 1,100.
Part of the rezoning request teases the idea of the tax-exempt institution adding tax-generating uses to its holdings.
The project, set to go before Irving City Council on July 11, is recommended for approval.
Irving has been prioritizing data center space in recent decision-making.
Investment management firm Harrison Street and PowerHouse Data Centers acquired 50 acres in the city west of Dallas near DFW International Airport for a nearly 1 million-square-foot, 200-megawatt data center campus.
Edged Energy is constructing a smaller-scale concept in Irving that will utilize a lower-water capability. Built specifically for artificial intelligence, Edged’s 24-megawatt concept is expected to use 95 million fewer gallons of water annually than its peers.
Data center operator QTS Realty Trust, which first expanded into North Texas about 10 years ago, is also expanding aggressively in the area, adding hundreds of thousands of square feet to its footprint in the coming months.
Dallas, TX
Dallas weather: Storms return this week with large hail and tornado threat
DALLAS – North Texans will enjoy a brief break today before the next weather system arrives, bringing multiple rounds of storms. A warmup is on the way, with temperatures climbing back into the mid-80s by the weekend.
Monday Forecast
Following a few morning showers in the eastern counties, expect a warm and breezy Monday. High temperatures will climb into the low 80s under partly cloudy skies.
Tuesday Forecast
As an upper-level low-pressure system moves to the west, scattered storms will move into the region Tuesday afternoon. Some of these storms could become severe, with the primary threats being large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
Simultaneously, storms are expected to develop ahead of a dryline to the west. While the tornado threat remains low in this area, any storms that form could produce large hail and damaging wind gusts.
7-Day Forecast
Those overnight storms should push out to the east by Wednesday morning, but don’t put the umbrella away just yet. As the main weather system moves directly over us Wednesday afternoon, we’ll likely see another round of scattered storms that could still bring with some hail. Once everything finally clears out Wednesday evening, we can look forward to some drier, much more comfortable air moving back into the area.
Thursday will be noticeably cooler, with high temperatures settling in the mid-60s. However, sunshine and a quick warmup are expected by the weekend. Temperatures will rebound into the 80s on Friday and Saturday.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.
Dallas, TX
Off-duty Dallas officer shoots at suspects allegedly trying to steal his vehicle in Addison, police say
An off-duty Dallas police officer shot at a group of people allegedly trying to steal his personal vehicle on Sunday afternoon in Addison, officials said.
According to the Addison Police Department, around 2:15 p.m., the off-duty Dallas officer saw a group of people trying to steal his vehicle in a parking lot at 5000 Belt Line Road. He confronted the suspects, “and during the encounter, fired a weapon at the suspects’ vehicle.”
The suspects fled in their vehicle, Addison police said, and it is unknown if any suspects were hit by gunfire.
The investigation is ongoing.
Dallas, TX
Dallas dropped the ball on the Wings’ practice facility
The Dallas Wings can’t seem to get a win, at least when it comes to the team’s training facility and arena. Not only is its practice facility in west Oak Cliff, approved over the summer and fast-tracked to open ahead of the team’s spring season, now running behind schedule, it is also somehow over budget.
Dallas had already committed $55 million for the team’s practice facility, a price tag we were uncomfortable with from the beginning. At the time, city staff said that was the amount needed to build a training facility with the amenities and infrastructure required for a WNBA team. The city argued there were few viable alternative locations for the practice facility after delays with the convention center, and they were running out of time. Enter the $55 million facility at Joey Georgusis Park.
But now the project needs an additional $27 million to cross the finish line. How did costs increase so much in just a few months? And how did a project that was expedited to meet the team’s deadline end up falling behind and over budget?
City staff attribute the holdup to missed deadlines by the project management firm McKissack and McKissack and new requirements from the WNBA that weren’t part of the original scope. McKissack and McKissack didn’t respond to multiple messages seeking comment for this editorial. Whatever the company’s missteps, the city is ultimately responsible for conducting due diligence and making sure the project stays on track, and it couldn’t deliver what it promised.
Now the city wants the Wings to take over. The city would cap its total contributions at $57 million, which includes $653,000 in delay reimbursements. The Wings would then cover the remaining costs, at least $27 million, needed to finish the practice facility and agree not to sue Dallas for the delays.
Some City Council members have suggested that Dallas should consider the American Airlines Center for the Wings’ practice facility and arena. But even though the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars, who currently play at the AAC, are looking to leave, their lease agreements run through 2031. That doesn’t do much for the Wings who need a practice facility now.
Maybe all of this could have been avoided if the city had more seriously considered existing facilities that could have accommodated the Wings. That’s not to say the team doesn’t deserve a training space that will meet their needs, but repurposing an existing space instead of starting from the ground up might have saved both time and money.
This debacle is frustrating for the Wings, and it also isn’t a good look for the city. If Dallas can’t figure out how to deliver a practice facility that it promised to one of its professional sports teams, how can it hope to attract more businesses and major investments? Anyone watching this unfold would have good reason to question the city’s ability to deliver.
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