From flying taxis to major redevelopments, Arlington mayor shares his vision for city’s future

From flying taxis to major redevelopments, Arlington mayor shares his vision for city’s future

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross has big dreams for the future of the city, from flying taxis to new hotels to businesses relocating to the city.Ross told business leaders during his Wednesday State of the City address that those things are coming, and soon.As Arlington works to cement itself as the entertainment capital of at least North Texas, Ross said big changes are coming to the entertainment district, UT Arlington, transportation, roads and development to make the downtown and entertainment district more connected and walkable.Public transit innovationResidents and visitors to Arlington shouldn’t expect light rail or fixed route bus service anytime soon, but Ross told members of the chamber of commerce during his address that the city will soon have more autonomous transportation along with a high-speed rail, VTOL taxis and gondolas.Autonomous transit would be the most likely to be seen across the city, brought by Mozee as it moves its headquarters to Arlington. Ross didn’t give a timeline for when those autonomous vehicles, which looked like windowed boxes on wheels in images shown during his speech, would reach Arlington.“You can bet you’re gonna see some of these vehicles running around town in the not-too-distant future,” Ross said.VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) taxis were promised to arrive by 2026, a lofty goal that if achieved would make Arlington the first city to have them. Ross called VTOL taxis “real life Jetsons stuff,” though those wouldn’t be for everybody.Ross said Overair, a company that has moved its operations to the area, would produce electronic VTOL taxis that would move people from Arlington National Airport to places like the entertainment district. Most likely, that means primarily wealthy visitors would be able to use the air taxis.Gondolas would also be limited in their use across the city, at least to start, focusing on the entertainment district. Ross said the gondolas would be especially beneficial to those coming to Arlington on the high-speed rail.“Can you imagine getting above the traffic in the entertainment district with a gondola system that is moving people from one location to another in the entertainment district, where when people that come in on the high-speed rail look up and they see the gondola system and they think to themselves ‘we’ve arrived?’ ” Ross asked the crowd. “We’re at the right spot. This is cool stuff.”That high-speed rail would move along Interstate 30, taking people between Dallas or Fort Worth and Arlington in 12 minutes, Ross said.Plans for a high-speed rail moving through Arlington have been in the works for a while.Arlington, Dallas and Fort Worth have been working on economic impact analyses while regional cities have bee working together with the Regional Transportation Council to discuss and plan the possible railway.Aside from the high-speed rail, Ross made no mention of plans for traditional public transit during his address.Arlington leaders, from council and mayor to city staff, have for years touted Via, a subsidized on-demand rideshare service, as its answer to the need for public transit in the city.New developmentRoss said new construction across the city has him excited for the next year. Redevelopment and infilling are two major priorities for the city as it nears build-out. With 99 square miles and no unincorporated county land to annex, Arlington has for years known it was running out of space for new construction.The city’s answer has, in recent years, been to find parcels of empty land surrounded by development and to encourage redevelopment that builds taller and uses space more efficiently.Transforming Lincoln Square, a shopping center in Collins Street near I-30, is one planned example.Ross said developers plan to transform the simple shopping center into a mixed-use property with apartments and business.The area would be renamed Anthem and would include “office space, garages, movie theaters, retail stores, dining facilities, hotel, everything where people can live, work, eat and play without ever getting in their car to drive somewhere,” Ross said.Economic growth and new businessRoss said several companies are relocating to Arlington.An aerospace company, eSpace, is moving its headquarters to the city and is expected to bring around 400 new jobs. It may use Arlington National Airport, recently upgraded from a regional airport, for some of its operations.Great American Media, a religious media company operating cable TV, the Christian streaming service Pure Flix and Great American Faith and Living streaming service is also expected to move operations from neighboring Fort Worth into Arlington.Axiona, a multinational company with primary interests in renewable energy, construction, property services and water management, is slated to set up its U.S. headquarters in Arlington, too. Ross said the company will put an emphasis on hiring local.The mayor promoted these as opportunities for the Arlington economy, saying they will bring new jobs to Arlington residents and UT Arlington graduates.More entertainment district changesLarge and decorative digital signs, an IndyCar Grand Prix race and more shopping and dining are expected to come to the entertainment district over the next couple years.The Arlington Grand Prix, announced earlier this month, is scheduled to arrive in Arlington in 2026, with a closed road track winding through the entertainment district and around Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium.Redeveloping the Caravan Inn from an abandoned, dilapidated motor inn to a new hotel designed to harken back to the days the motel was originally built could also help bring continuity to the city’s landscape, Ross said.Rebuilding the motel into a towering building with design tributes to the 1950s will be the first step in connecting the entertainment district to downtown, he told the audience. Other new development and redevelopment projects cementing that connection are expected to follow.New development in the entertainment district could also see the Sheraton renovated, new hotels built, Choctaw Stadium (the now-old Texas Rangers ballpark) revamped to have more street-side entertainment and parking garages instead of sprawling lots.James Hartley is KERA’s Arlington accountability reporter. Email him at jhartley@kera.org.

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