Dallas CBD Second Light Rail Alignment (D2)

Ernie Martinez, Project Manager

Planning Committee

March 22, 2016

Outline

• SWG Meeting Objective

• Presenters

• Stakeholder Work Group Comments

• Meetings/Key Dates

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SWG Meeting #2 Objective

Objective:

– Allow Stakeholders to participate in the data collection effort associated with the Existing Conditions element.

– Stakeholders will make brief presentations of their development plans, current or future operations and issues and concerns related to the development of D2

– This SWG Meeting is focused on the Young/Jackson (east/west) segment; the subsequent SWG meeting will focus on the Lamar/DART ROW (north/south) segment.

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Meeting Presenters • Preservation Dallas*

• ONCOR*

• Maharger Development

• Harwood Park

• First Presbyterian Church

• Statler Hilton

• Lone Star Gas Lofts

• Continental Building

• Butler Brothers Building (Marriott Hotel, residences)

• Aloft Hotel

• SoCo Lofts

Joint presentation

Joint presentation

*These are Stakeholders that represent a particular issue or element that is not site-specific.

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Meeting Comments • Preservation Dallas:

– Provided sampling of historic structures along the D2 alignment (e.g. Knights of Pythias Temple, Lone Star Gas Lofts, Statler Hilton, Continental Building, SoCo Lofts, Aloft Hotel) that they perceive might be impacted

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Sampling of historic buildings with

potential impacts from proposed D2

alignment

Meeting Comments • ONCOR

– Jackson and Wood Streets contain electric transformer vaults (ETVs) that make these corridors undesirable or costly to prepare for light rail

– Young Street has fewer issues

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Meeting Comments • Harwood Park

– Young and Jackson Street alignments provide transit access to park users – a Wood-running alignment would preclude the possibility of the park

development

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Meeting Comments • SoCo Lofts, Aloft Hotel

– Expressed concerns about potential impacts to adjacent developments including: noise/vibration, loss of access, revenue loss, pedestrian circulation, traffic, economic development, increased development costs, utilities, safety, quality of life, ADA, fire safety, code compliance, loss of property (land, structures), property values, etc.

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Meeting Comments • SoCo Lofts, Aloft Hotel

– Proposed an alignment refinement that would keep the light rail line within public ROW (Lamar, Young Streets) near their developments

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Meeting Comments • Statler Hilton, Continental Building, Lone Star Gas

Lofts – Concerned that their primary auto access off of Jackson would be severely

impacted by a Jackson St alignment

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Meeting Comments • Statler-Hilton, Continental Building, Lone Star Gas

Lofts

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Proposed an alternative Young St alignment that:

– redistributes spacing of stations

– minimizes impacts to First Presbyterian Church

Meeting Comments

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• First Presbyterian Church (FPC): It is perceived that a Young St-D2 alignment would impact the Church as follows:

– Historic Chapel and Encore Park would be impacted by noise/vibration

– Parking garage would need to be purchased/demolished to accommodate D2

– Accessibility to their surface parking lot would be diminished

– Pedestrian access would be diminished

Meeting Comments

• Butler Brothers Building (Marriott Hotel, residences): – Increased accessibility; revitalization of City Hall Plaza; opportunity for

collaboration;

– Areas of concern: Encroachment on sidewalks adjacent to their building; station locations, valet parking impacts, public safety

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Meeting Comments

• Maharger Development: – Perceived that a Young St alignment would impact historic their historic

structure (Meletio Electric Building) – Impact other properties

• Other Comments: – Develop D2 in a subway

– Wait 25 years to build D2

– Slow down on developing D2

– Develop D2 in a way that pedestrians can easily cross the tracks

– Right of Way costs will be greater than expected

– When will Dallas City Council get another opportunity to vote

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Meetings/Key Dates

• Individual Briefings (Recent Past/Upcoming) – Harwood Park – First Presbyterian Church (multiple) – Butler Brothers Building (Marriott Hotel, residences) Tour – SoCo Lofts/Aloft Hotel: Tour and Briefing – General Services Administration (Date TBD)

• Community/Public Meetings – SWG Meeting #3 (within 4 weeks)

– Public Meeting (late Spring/early Summer)

• Key Dates – SDEIS complete by December 2016

– Project Development complete by November 2017

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