Downtown Irving makeover weighed

[TexasStooge]

City of Irving studies report suggesting new apartments, restaurants

By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING, Texas - The city will spend the next few months studying how to revitalize downtown Irving – and how to pay for it.

The decision comes after City Council members discussed a report last week about downtown improvements. The report, issued by an Urban Land Institute panel, suggests that downtown could become a bustling urban village with apartments and businesses if city officials take advantage of the Trinity Railway Express line.

Improving downtown Irving could require massive amounts of money, time and planning, some council members say. But they believe the city should take a more active role in injecting life into downtown.

"We have to send a message to citizens that we're interested in investing and reinvesting," council member Joe Philipp said.

Allan Meagher added: "We need to get development down there. ... Whatever we can do, we need to start now."

Officials plan to study the city's options and report back to the council as early as February.

Developing downtown could be a politically sensitive topic. Suggested improvements from the Urban Land Institute report include adding downtown apartments and more restaurants.

That may stir debate among residents and city leaders, some of whom think that Irving is already saturated with too many apartments. Others are concerned with the location of restaurants that serve alcohol.

The report also suggests turning Irving Boulevard and Second Street into two-way streets.

Other potentially tricky topics include getting various downtown landowners to support revitalization and buying land.

But nothing is set in stone. The report only offers suggestions about how the city should improve downtown, city officials say.

The report envisions an area with townhomes, housing for active senior citizens, an amphitheater and shops and offices.

Getting people to live and work downtown is a priority, and the city will need to attract at least one major employer to downtown, said Larry Good, an architectural firm president who helped form the Urban Land Institute report. He presented the study to council members and Planning and Zoning Commission members, who have been discussing downtown issues in recent months.

"The success of downtown Irving can be tied to more people living in downtown Irving," Mr. Good told council and commission members. "Anything you can do to create a diverse offering of housing in this ... area is going to be beneficial."

While council members and commissioners digest the report, city officials will spend the next few months studying what funding options exist to pay for downtown improvements. They'll also look at what other cities have done with their downtowns or areas near rail lines.

Money isn't available in the city's general fund for improvements, city officials say. But the city plans on looking at whether it could offer incentives to developers or create a tax-increment financing district. Bond funds and federal funds could cover some of the costs, city officials said.

Regardless of what happens, downtown Irving has tremendous potential, City Manager Steve McCullough said.

Urban Land Institute members agree. They say the city has already made investments in the area, including the Heritage Senior Center and Centennial Park. And they applauded downtown's small-town feel.