A Greater Plan
Preliminary Concepts
Before Forest City Enterprises was selected to create a detailed development agreement, the City of Irving, University of Dallas, and Southwest Premier Properties hired RTKL Associates to sketch out opportunities for the site. These preliminary concepts included a mixed-use village, an urban resort, and an eco-community.
Mixed Use Village
A new town-center neighborhood in the center of Dallas-Fort Worth is imagined in this scenario. This concept creates a community with retail, residential and leisure opportunities. Buildings are multi-use by design where families live side-by-side with shops, galleries and restaurants. Nature anchors this urban fabric and pedestrians can walk freely throughout town and on sculpted walkways along a picturesque river walk. Throughout the development, parks are designed for recreation and the arts, along with sports fields with terrain seating, a sculpture plaza and reflecting pools.
- A new neighborhood and town center with retail, residential and leisure opportunities
- Buildings multi-use by design
- New zoning with low density, medium density and high density housing
- Pedestrians welcome
- Nature integrated into the urban park
- Two-theme park (Recreation and the Arts) embedded with riverwalk, sculpture plaza, terrain seating, pool and playing fields
Urban Resort
A vibrant Urban Resort emerges as the core of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in this setting. Combining hospitality, residential and cultural uses within a destination-based development, outdoor life is promoted and encouraged. The area’s Trinity River waterfront parks and accessibility give life to an active lifestyle. The development is anchored by a destination-focused meeting and convention facility where visitors enjoy all aspects of the community. Connecting the east and west sections of the development is a Ponte Vecchio-inspired bridge.
- An urban resort at the core of the Metroplex with access to shops, restaurants and outdoor activities
- Buildings multi-use by design
- Outdoor life promoted and encouraged
- Waterfront parks and accessibility
- An active urban park with playing fields, pools, trails and more
- Ponte Vecchio: a possible model for a bridge over Highway 114
Eco-Community
Sustainable principles and distinctive architecture guide the overall strategy of this development alternative. Mixed land uses and buildings are integrated with nature and the site to make this a globally conscious "green" community. Communal design and solar energy concepts give this development potential for an "Off-the-Grid" approach to energy use. Multi-layered communal areas crisscross the community for use as gardens (á la Savannah, Georgia), parking, playing and recycling. Trails, parks, and play areas are built into the development plan bringing life to this world-class eco-community.
- Sustainable principles guide the overall strategy
- Buildings integrated with nature and their site
- Potential for an “off-the-grid” approach to energy
- Multi-layered communal areas for gardens, parking, playing and recycling
- Sustainable approaches integral to the site and building design
- Residential development within “pocket parks”
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