Dallas city council members recently praised new plans for a people mover to link the new Midtown development, the Galleria area, and DART’s new Silver Line trains.
According to the project’s blueprints, the people-mover will be similar to the DFW Airport Skylink.
It is hoped the people mover will solve a possible logistic problem in the area, linking DART’s Silver Line trains with Midtown.
The new people-mover concept, which will circulate foot traffic around the area, garnered support from the Dallas City Council.
“The people-mover is great, and I love the idea,” councilmember Omar Narvaez said. “I love this concept. This is forward-thinking. This is us being a more progressive city when it comes to transportation thoughts.”
Assistant Dallas City Manager Majed Al-Gahfry estimates the cost of such a project at around $50 million. He said that federal infrastructure funding and grants would play a significant role in funding the people-mover.
The Dallas Midtown is an ambitious project requiring $4 billion in renovations. The project aims to merge an urban area, with high rises and office buildings, with a natural flowing park. Renderings of the project show large grassy lawns and open space, along with a movie theater, restaurants, and retail stores.
The Midtown Project has suffered many constructions delay and missed deadlines since its inception. Construction, however, is expected to begin in a few months when permits are finalized.
Former Dallas City Council member and State Representative Linda Koop says the project is revolutionary.
“This development will create a city within a city,” Koop said. “With restaurants, shopping, housing, and office space, Dallas Midtown will completely redefine this part of Dallas.”
Other council members are also ready for ground to be broken at Midtown.
“I drive by this every single day, and it is a blight,” said council member Cara Mendelsohn.“(This is) a huge opportunity for us. It’s a huge opportunity for housing. It’s a huge opportunity for recreation, but more than anything, it’s a huge opportunity to develop the area into something fabulous.”
