On November 9, The Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation officially kicked off construction on Southern Gateway Park. Slated to be completed in 2025, the park’s builders are aiming for it to be a catalyst for bridging the gap in Dallas that Interstate 35E created. The public/private partnership is expecting to attract an estimated 2 million visitors each year and generate more than $1 billion in economic impact in its first five years.
According to Southern Gateway’s President and CEO April Allen, the park’s first phase is 82 percent funded. “This generational project will lead to increased greenspace, significant economic development, and safer, healthier places to live and play,” she said. “But on a personal level, one reason this project is so important to me is that I want to show the people in this community—my community—that they matter, that they are worth hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. Every person, regardless of where they live, deserves to have beautiful amenities and public spaces where they feel welcome. That’s what motivates me every day to keep doing whatever it takes to make this vision a reality.”
Global design firm HKS and landscape architecture firm SWA are leading the park’s planning and design.
The parks amenities will be similar to Klyde Warren Park’s: water features, green spaces, places for children to play, a stage, and pavilions. The Southern Gateway Park will also have parking for food trucks, but those spots, along with space within the flex building reserved for small businesses, are part of the foundation’s plan to use the park to improve economic opportunities, opening up the potential for community members to become entrepreneurs.
“What I hope historians will say is that this moment in time turned out to be the turning point in how we viewed and treated the southern part of our city,” Mayor Johnson said. “This marks the moment we stopped talking about investing in Southern Dallas and actually did it—when we invested in real infrastructure to spur the growth and development not only of the geographic area, but more importantly, the people themselves.”
Legends Hospitality Acquires ASM Global
Legends Hospitality, co-founded by Jerry Jones, acquired ASM Global, enhancing Legends’ services portfolio while advancing the expansion of sports organizations, entertainment venues, convention centers, and attractions across the globe. ASM Global operates in more than 350 venues across the globe, produces more than 20,000 live events per year, and services more than 164 million guests each year.
“Legends and ASM Global are both deeply client-centric and fan-focused and together we will deliver maximum value for our global client roster with even greater support and service options,” said Shervin Mirhashemi, CEO of Legends. “Welcoming ASM Global to Legends is a capstone achievement in our 15-year journey toward becoming the world’s trusted partner for connecting people with the brands and communities that matter most to them, and for helping our clients create memorable moments that keep their fans and patrons returning time and again.”
With clients across five continents, ASM Global operates venues that serve live events at ICC Sydney Convention Center, Avicii Arena in Stockholm, OVO Arena Wembley in London, Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, and State Farm Stadium, and several others. “Sports and entertainment content is so powerful and positive, the more people that can consume it the better,” Mike Tomon, COO and co-president of Legends said.
Current ASM Global equity holders Onex and AEG will sell their ownership interests. ASM Global will continue to serve existing and in-development AEG venues.
State of the Dallas Arts Scene
According to a recent study from national organization Americans for the Arts, the nonprofit arts and culture sector in the city of Dallas, which encompasses 130 organizations, generated an economic impact of more than $853 million in direct and indirect expenditures and supported nearly 14,000 jobs from February 2022 through July 2023. The Dallas Arts District contributed an economic impact of more than $340 million.
“Our arts community is a key driver of the Dallas economy,” said Lily Weiss, executive director of the Dallas Arts District. “This drives tourism and visitors into our city from North Texas and beyond. They come here, they spend, that all has a ripple effect. And it creates a vibrant city where people want to move their business, to live, play and enjoy a great quality of life. The arts amplify all of that.”
More stats from the study:
- Total attendance: 6.82 million
- Nonlocal vistors: 37.7 percent
- Average nonlocal visitor spend: $56.49
- Dallas Arts District jobs: 5,924
“With these kinds of numbers, both in and out of the Arts District and even after the pandemic, this speaks to vibrancy and creative churn that is happening across Dallas,” said Joanna St. Angelo, president of the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition. “It demonstrates funding from the city and all of our donors is well placed. We just can’t let up on the pedal with that support and this includes taking care of our important and beautiful venues with a significant investment through the bond program next year.”
Hotchkiss Insurance Acquires InCore Group
Dallas-based Hotchkiss Insurance acquired InCore Group, an independent insurance consulting agency that services Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The acquisition expands Hotchkiss’ footprint for commercial insurance and employee benefits.
“This acquisition represents a significant milestone for Hotchkiss,” said Mike Hotchkiss, CEO at Hotchkiss Insurance, which was founded in 1975. “We are thrilled to welcome InCore Group into our family. Their forward-thinking approach and dedication to client welfare complement our own values. Together, we will continue to innovate and enhance the insurance experience for businesses across the region.”
Despite the acquisition, the InCore Group team will remain under the operational leadership of Principal and Founder Riley Dearing.
PGA of America Partners With T-Mobile
The PGA of America has signed T-Mobile as its official 5G innovation partner. Through this collaboration, T-Mobile’s 5G technology will be utilized at the brand-new home of the PGA of America and PGA of America Coaching Center in Frisco.
“I have been hugely impressed with the innovation and passion that our new partner T-Mobile brings to every task,” said Seth Waugh, the PGA of America’s CEO. “I am so excited by the promise of what T-Mobile can deliver to our members and our shared vision to drive the game forward for current and future generations of players.”
The PGA of America will also be developing a broadcasting and content innovation hub at the Home of the PGA of America that will pilot production technologies such as data-rich broadcasts using real-time data and analytics sources as well as first-person point of view cameras to deliver fans an immersive viewing perspective.
“Together, T-Mobile and the PGA of America are showcasing innovation, bringing fans closer, and creating opportunities for PGA of America Members to learn and bring those learnings to their home facilities,” said Callie Field, T-Mobile Business Group’s president. “5G is the platform for innovation that’s bringing a competitive edge to thousands of PGA Coaches, all while increasing operational efficiencies at the modern home of golf. That’s the power of our 5G solutions.”
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