DALLAS, Texas, (February 19, 2009) — The Allen Group, developers of the Dallas Logistics Hub (DLH), a 6,000-acre multi-modal logistics park in southern Dallas County, announced today that Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor), a regulated electric distribution and transmission company, acquired a 9.3-acre-land parcel for an electric transmission substation within the DLH. Construction of the new electric transmission substation is scheduled to commence by May 2009 and is being constructed, in part, to support the more than 60 million square feet of planned industrial growth within the Dallas Logistics Hub. The site will become the third substation within the boundaries of the DLH and the fourth within the service area of the DLH. Oncor is responsible for planning and building the electric transmission system, from the generator to the distribution substations, in portions of northern, western, and central Texas. Oncor is additionally responsible for operating its transmission system and maintaining the structures, wires, and associated facilities necessary for the reliable transmission of electricity. “The infrastructure within the Dallas Logistics Hub continues to grow,” said The Allen Group’s Texas Division ...

Washington, DC – (February 20, 2009) Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded the Dallas Love Field Airport a grant for $3,387,010. The money will be used to construct a taxiway and to rehabilitate runway lighting. “Love Field is a convenient, accessible airport that has served the people of North Texas well for decades,” Congresswoman Johnson said. “This funding will enable the airport to repair and modernize its runway system, and I know it will be money well-spent.” Dallas Love Field Airport is located in Congresswoman Johnson’s Congressional District. According to a recent report by the Texas Department of Transportation’s Aviation Division, the direct economic output attributable to the airport is estimated at more than $352.7 million. Additionally, scheduled airlines, and to a lesser extent, general aviation aircraft, transport over 1.7 million visitors to the area each year, supporting more than 18,000 visitor-related jobs and $377.8 million in payroll. Visitor expenditures are also responsible for $659.7 million in direct economic output.

A major player at the Dallas Inland Port is poised to make a major announcement on Tuesday. The Allen Group -a commercial real estate development company and developers of the Dallas Logistics Hub in Southern Dallas- will relocated its corporate headquarters and entire executive staff to Dallas from San Diego, Calif. The Allen Group's corporate team has set up temporary residence in downtown Dallas within Chase Tower. There, the corporate operation will share offices with the company’s Texas development division. The move was officially effective Monday morning. "This move underscores The Allen Group's commitment to creating jobs and fostering business development in South Dallas County," said Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. "I am pleased to welcome them to our community." I welcome the Allen Group to Dallas as well. Over the last two years that I have interacted with them I've had nothing but positive experiences. The Allen Group, and their CEO Richard Allen, saw the potential in the Dallas Logistical Hub (DLH) and instead of talking about it, then went about bringing buildings out of the ground. There's been enough talk about development, its high time that we actually see it. The Dallas Logistics hub ...

  When talk of a Master Plan at the Inland Port in Southern Dallas came up, I was skeptical.  I mean the Allen Group had gotten the port off to a great start and I haven't heard one negative thing about what they are doing out there.  They have 6,000 acres of what could one day be a 70,000 acre project. I was taken aback by the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board's decision to support the Master Plan.  The Dallas County commissioners came back a few weeks later and killed the plan by a 3-2 vote.  The editorial board came back and disagreed with their decision. Jim Schutze of the Dallas Observer writes an article regarding the port that pits Rep. Eddie B. Johnson against Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price.  Here's some cuts from Schutze's article, ...Shaking Down Development Deal. Johnson told me last week she views Commissioner Price's role, in particular, as part of a long, bad history: "I see all of these different deals that he's trying to do over the years, shaking people down and all that kind of stuff." She said she knew what was wrong with the proposed inland port master plan the first time she heard of it. ...

DALLAS, Texas, (Nov. 25, 2008) — The Allen Group, developers of the Dallas Logistics Hub (DLH), a 6,000-acre multi-modal logistics park in Southern Dallas County, announced today an execution of a lease with Bridge Terminal Transport (BTT), one of the largest marine container haulers covering all major port locations and inland rail sites within the United States. BTT is a market leader in worldwide container services, agency, logistics and terminal activities. The company will relocate their container yard operations from an existing facility near the Love Field Airport area to a site at DLH that falls within the City of Hutchins. With close proximity to Union Pacific’s Dallas Intermodal Terminal (DIT) and Interstate 45, the container yard will store inbound and outbound containers that transfer through DIT, as well as chassis and trailers for customers. “We are pleased to work with Bridge Terminal Transport to provide them with a perfect location for its Dallas container yard facility,” said Daniel J. McAuliffe, President of The Allen Group’s Texas operations. “This will be the first storage facility within the Dallas ...

Last night on the 10 o'clock news, Jason Whitley did a surprisingly long and in depth look at whether or not South Dallas is missing out on the benefits of the Trinity River Project.  Jason interviewed yours truly for the story as well as a resident of South Dallas.  South Dallas is going to have to stay on top of this situation or the benefits really might just miss them.  The Lamar Street levee will literally back up into South Dallas once (if) the flood control portion of the project gets underway. Click here to view Channel 8's well done look at the Trinity Project's impact on South Dallas.

The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board has recommended that the International Inland Port of Dallas take up a Master Plan.  The effort for the Master Plan is being lead by Commissioner John Wiley Price. It is also supported by the North Texas Council of Governments. The Allen Group, by far the most active developer with the Port (including the government groups) opposes the Master Plan.  I have followed their work over the last couple of years from afar and up close.  The buildings they have placed in the Inland Port go above and beyond anything that a Master Plan would suggest - natural lighting, parking lights pointing straight down, extra greenery. I found one line in the DMN quite funny.  "They (Allen Group) warn, withough evidence, of unnecessary delays, uncertainy, bureaucracy, restrictions..."  Uh, can you say Trinity River Corridor Project? There are a lot of Johnny Come Lately types hovering around, and I never do well with that dynamic.  And I'm wondering where they get that folks like Wilmer and Hutchins will be pushed around by developers.  The fact that The North Central Texas Counsil of Governments and Dallas County (alledgedly) pushed forward with a plan with very little input from the smaller ...

Join Jazzy and I on Thursday Night at 10 P.M. for Shawn P. Williams Now! on Blog Talk Radio. Click here or visit www.blogtalkradio.com/shawnpwilliamsnow to tune in when our guests will be Jack Matthews and Gromer Jeffers. Jack Matthews Jack Matthews - is the President of Matthews Southwest, the company chosen to develop the Dallas Convention Center Hotel. Matthews Southwest is also responsible for the Southside on Lamar development. Gromer Jeffers Gromer Jeffers, Jr. is a political columnist for the Dallas Morning News, who recently followed the McCain campaign in Ohio. He will also serve on a panel asking questions in tomorrow night's U.S. Senate debate between Rick Noriega and John Cornyn.

As I was driving in to the State Fair Classic on Saturday, I was already thinking about this post.  I was fully prepared to suggest that Al Wash (who promotes the contest) move the game to a two o'clock start.  There were two things that I was going to use as my reasons for a move. First was the reaction that many people gave me when I told them of my weekend plans.  At the barbershop I had a conversation where I told a gentleman I was taking my family to the PV/Grambling game.  "Are you taking a knife or a gun?" he asked.  Another friend told me to wear my track shoes so that I could take off running when the fights broke out. Now I would not suggest to anyone that that type of attitude is totally unwarranted.  I was at a PV-Grambling game in the late 80's or early '90's (at least I know Grambling was there) where the football players all hit the deck because there was shooting (supposedly) inside the Cotton Bowl.  And I also remember the crowds rushing through the stadium's tight corridors because of fights.  So yes, I understand where they were coming from. The second ...

Here is an article that I wrote that appears in Sunday's Dallas Morning News Opinion section (Points).  Thanks to Nicole Stockdale for the opportunity. On a sunny and mild afternoon – a day that would have been great for football – the city of Dallas and Mayor Tom Leppert unveiled a new and improved version of the historic Cotton Bowl. I walked away impressed by the wider concourses, expanded media area, club-level seating and toilets that actually flushed (yes, I checked). But any mention of the Cotton Bowl since has been met with one word: Cowboys.It's as if residents expected Dallas to throw in the towel when America's Team chose to make its move further west. But the days for debating what could have and should have been with the Cowboys are long gone. The fact is, Arlington is getting itself a world-class stadium, but it's hard for Dallas to miss something it hasn't had since 1971. The $57 million approved by Dallas voters for the Cotton Bowl was necessary to protect the birds that were already in hand, even though the one in the bush was nice. The newly renovated stadium is being touted by leaders as the ninth-largest football stadium, by ...