Downtown Monthly: Ron Kirk – Groundbreaker 🏆

Ron Kirk: Secretary of State, Mayor, Ambassador, Groundbreaker - February 2023

Ambassador Ronald Kirk, the first Black mayor of Dallas and a former member of President Obama's cabinet, is Downtown Dallas, Inc.'s (DDI), 2023 Groundbreaker Award recipient.

DDI will present Kirk with the honor in recognition of a lifetime of achievements advancing Downtown at the nonprofit's 65th Annual Meeting & Luncheon on Friday, February 24, at the Thompson Dallas.

"Much of the historic progress we see in Downtown Dallas today can be traced directly to Mayor Kirk's vision and passion for the core of our city," said DDI President & CEO Jennifer Scripps.

Kirk was appointed Texas Secretary of State in 1994 by then-Gov. Ann W. Richards. He was first elected mayor of Dallas in 1995 and re-elected in 1999.

Among many notable accomplishments, Kirk championed the ballot measure that led to the development of the $421 million American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars. That project helped transform the former brownfield site into an award-winning land reuse that is a vibrant mixed-use development now known as Victory Park.

“I’m honored to accept this prestigious award and grateful to partners including DDI for staying the course on a path we set more than two decades ago,” Kirk said. "It is fulfilling to see that our Downtown has grown and prospered as an arts and entertainment destination and a thriving neighborhood.” Read More

Sponsorship opportunities for this event close this Friday, February 3rd at 5:00 PM. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Dallas native Lawrence Wright will be featured in a keynote conversation with Dallas journalist Robert Wilonsky. Wright, a staff writer for The New Yorker, is the author of 11 nonfiction books.

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In Other Downtown News ...

Dallas is the top place for Downtown living in the country, according to a new report from StorageCafe. "Downtown Dallas’s unique range of features and amenities helped it get crowned as the best central area in the country for urban life enthusiasts," says the report.

The Dallas region tops all other major U.S. metros for commercial property deals for the third year in a row. More than $42.5 billion in 2022 sales include the $615 million Downtown Dallas Trammell Crow Center deal, writes The Dallas Morning News.

Starship Bagel launched Downtown in January and the bagels are flying off the shelves daily. Read all about the New York-style bagels from The Dallas Morning News. Visit the walk-up window near the Eye on Elm Street.

DDI Members In The News ...

-- The Luminary building in the West End is now fully leased, thanks to a recent expansion by architect Corgan, The Dallas Morning News reports.

-- Neiman Marcus, owner of Bergdorf Goodman, has big plans for 2023, including spending $200 million to upgrade stores and working to improve the customer experience, The Dallas Morning News reports.

-- Downtown-based AT&T CEO John Stankey tells The Dallas Morning News the telecommunications company stands behind a simpler approach to doing business.

-- Leasing guru Marijke Lantz Flowers, a DDI Board of Governors member, stays busy as Billingsley Co.'s senior vice president of investments. The Dallas 500 honoree talks to D CEO about the permitting process in our region, diversity in commercial real estate, surviving breast cancer, and more.

-- Comerica Bank's Bill Adams says the Great resignation may finally be coming to an end, according to the Dallas Business Journal.

-- A redeveloped block of retail and office buildings called Good E, by developer Westdale Real Estate, is the newest mixed-use project of Deep Ellum, The Dallas Morning News reports.

Welcome DDI's Newest Member ...

Moss & Associates

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