Flashback: A race car flies down S.H. 114 during ribbon cutting ceremony in 2004.
City View by John Terrell, Mayor of Southlake
The news lately about some great American cities has been sobering. Detroitbrdeclared bankruptcy, and both Chicago and Houston are facing very toughbrbudgeting choices — all because of commitments made in previous years. Parts ofbrthose stories are different — such as geography, size and who is owed what — butbrit doesn't change the bottom line: These cities are in debt to the tune ofbrmillions of dollars. They make for clear and sobering reminders that the needbrfor smart, well-planned economic development and strong budgeting has neverbrbeen greater.
Since 2012, more than 90 new businesses have opened inbrSouthlake. The owners recognize that our city offers a magical combination ofbrelements: a master plan for development, a solid tax base and a city whosebrelected leaders and residents are committed to quality development. Look aroundbrSouthlake, and you will find what can happen when economic development is takenbrseriously. You can also see what happens when a city uses private and publicbrpartnerships to leverage resources for the common good.
In the late '90s, an innovative vision of building abrunique downtown came alive, and now we have Southlake Town Square, a mix ofbrretail, office, residential and public components. Every year, it gets better;brwe see new additions, and the vision for Town Square becomes even more refined.brNew stores and businesses are finding homes within the square, and I know thatbrin the coming months and years, we will see many more additions that will helpbrmake it complete.
One of the things that have helped make Town Squarebrsuccessful is S.H. 114. I remember when it opened on an extremely cold day backbrin 2004. The land around the new roadway was still mostly undeveloped, but youbrcould see the potential. Gateway Church has become a cornerstone of our stretchbrof highway, with thousands of people coming to worship each week. Forest ParkbrMedical Center has opened its doors for business, and Carillon Southlake isbroffering new residential opportunities alongside Children's Medical Center. Slowly,brand with an eye towards quality, the highway and surrounding area are growingbrup. And with the completion of the DFW Connector project, S.H. 114 and the opportunitybrthat it represents have become even more important.
Drivers using the Connector roads and frontage roads willbralso soon be able to use a Texas Turnaround from west S.H. 114 to the northbrentrances of Town Square. The Southlake Texas 114 Turnaround represents a greatbrexample of what can happen when public and private entities get together forbrthe common good. This particular group is made up of the City of Southlake, GatewaybrChurch, Cooper and Stebbins, Inc. (the developer of Southlake Town Square),brTarrant County and TxDOT. All have contributed to the financing of the project.brConstruction is set to start later this year and should be complete in the spring.brI am looking forward to the day it opens to traffic.
Economic development also needs strong investmentsbrinto public infrastructure. Southlake has done that with a premier park system,brstrategically placed police and fire stations and a capital improvement planbrthat is based on a carefully structured master plan.
Great cities don't just happen overnight. They takebrcareful investment and considerable and consistent planning. In the future, Ibrthink you will see a shift in the way cities do business, moving toward sustainablebreconomic development, balanced retail, excellent schools and a sensible mix ofbrnew businesses, both large and small. It's what we are striving for, and I hopebrthat you are as excited as I am about our future.
See you in Southlake.
John Terrell, vice president of commercial development for DFW Airport, has spent countless volunteer hours in service to the City of Southlake. He served two terms on the city council prior to becoming elected Southlake's Mayor in 2009 and again in 2012. Married to wife Joanne and father to two Dragons, the 2012 Southlake Citizen of the Year has called Southlake home for more than 15 years.