 the offical newsletter of DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT - Winter 2008 |
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A new city rises
Park Lane: Transit-oriented development on steroids
"The District" at Park Lane features dining in a lively streetscape.
You roll out of bed early to pound the pedals at Sports Club/LA's Rev Cycling Studio, shower, and down an egg-white omelette at The Daily Grill. A few minutes later, you’re in the office running numbers; at noon you and your staff enjoy burgers at Gordon Biersch, then browse Nordstrom Rack on your way to catch a train downtown.
By 5 p.m., you close the big deal, and a half-hour later you're back in your hood, shopping Whole Foods Market for fresh Alaskan salmon, a bottle of wine and a bouquet of lilies.
It's just another day at Park Lane, the mega live-work-play project taking shape at Central Expressway, Park Lane and Northwest Highway. At 33.5 acres and $750 million worth of residential, office and retail space - plus direct access to DART's Park Lane Station - it's "transit-oriented development on steroids."
Moving in, living it up
Developed by Harvest Partners, Park Lane is racing toward a spring 2009 grand opening, but the first residential tenants began unpacking boxes in late September. Their choices ranged from condo-style units in a 20-story tower to mid-rise flats and low-rise lofts situated three floors above an array of flagship shops and restaurants.
Retail will be anchored by the largest Whole Foods Market in the nation, as well as Dick's Sporting Goods, Nordstrom Rack, The City (Circuit City), The Children's Place, Aveda and the only Old Navy outlet inside the LBJ Freeway loop. Dining – Gordon Biersch brewery and restaurant from Chattanooga, Uptown Sushi from Houston, Bailey's Prime Plus and The Daily Grill, among others – will line "The District" in the heart of the development."To create a truly unique mixed-use development, our partners went all over the place to look at what had been done elsewhere," says Kevin Smart, Harvest Partners' financial director. "Among the things they saw was that successful developments had a top grocer and a sports club." As a result, Park Lane is anchored by a 109,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market and a 78,000-square-foot Sports Club/LA – described as an “urban country club” usually located within Four Seasons and Ritz hotels.
"The shops and restaurants at Park Lane will either be new to Dallas or new concepts for Dallas," says Michelle Davis, director of marketing for Harvest Partners. That's an important distinction because Park Lane sits across Central Expressway from NorthPark Center, a top-five U.S. shopping destination.
"From the start, we've set out to complement NorthPark, not compete with it," says Smart. "In fact, when we bought the land from (NorthPark developer) Ray Nasher, his requirements for the sale included a promise not to build another shopping mall." The complementary relationship will have the NorthPark Center Shuttle - which DART operates from Park Lane Station - circulating through Park Lane, as well.
Unlike enclosed NorthPark, Park Lane will be an outdoor experience, but no less exciting. Fountains designed by Wet Works, creator of the famed dancing waters at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, will grace a grand staircase leading to The District. Al fresco dining, video screens and landscaping with 120 trees harvested from the site will add to the lively pedestrian scene.
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| Residents can enjoy the view from a 20-story condo tower (right) and shopping at the nation's biggest Whole Foods Market (left). | |
Connecting to the transit lifestyle
Park Lane will feature an incredible 44 acres of parking around and underneath its 33.5 acres of buildings, but parking won't be a factor for those who embrace the transit lifestyle. DART, with a $1.2 million grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, plans to complete an elevated walkway linking the development to Park Lane Station by spring.
Among those enjoying the transit connection will be Kosmos Energy, which will move to Park Lane in early 2009. The international oil and gas exploration and production company is quickly outgrowing its corporate office nearby thanks to a large discovery off the Ghana coast.
"The access to the DART station and the shops, restaurants, health club and entertainment is something we really wanted," says Grace Weisberg, Kosmos' director of human resources. "A lot of our people live up north, and it will be easy for them to get on the train at Bush Turnpike Station or further up the line. Employees have inquired about the apartments too, and with new people moving to the area we'll use some of the lofts for temporary housing."
Likewise, the DART connection will be a boon for the 2,150 students and faculty of the Arts Institute of Dallas located in two existing buildings incorporated into the new development.
"One of the major considerations for college students is cost of attendance, and access to DART Rail makes the decision for many students much easier," says Simon J. Lumley, president of the institute. "As DART continues to expand throughout the metro area, we're confident it will enable us to provide a quality education to even more students from throughout the DFW metroplex."
Lumley adds that Park Lane's amenities will be a major plus as well. "There will be employment opportunities for students as well as significant recreational outlets. A number of our staff and students have already toured the apartments and are considering leasing."
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