City News Roundup

Donald Trump Jr and Ted Cruz speak in Dallas and more city news

Donald Trump Jr (left) and Ted Cruz uttered words in Dallas.

Donald Trump Jr/Facebook; tedcruz.com

Dallas' city manager hired a couple of key staffers. City budget action is starting up. And Donald Junior was in town. Here's what happened in Dallas city news this week:

New city hires
City Manager T.C. Broadnax appointed two new executives: Mary Elizabeth (Liz) Cedillo-Pereira will serve as the Director of the Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs and will start on March 20. An attorney, advocate, and policy advisor, she most recently served as the Obama Administration’s Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where she focused on immigration policy and community engagement to foster relations in communities across the U.S.

Raquel Favela will serve as Chief of Economic Development and Neighborhood Services and will start April 17. An expert in the area of housing, she most recently served as the West Regional Director for the National Development Council where she provided technical assistance, training, and financing to governments for real estate development projects using the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, New Market Tax Credits, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Tax Increment Financing, HUD 108 Loans and other public financing mechanisms.

Trump in town
The Reagan Day Dinner, a fundraiser hosted by the Dallas County Republican party, took place in Dallas on March 11, drawing both Donald Trump Jr. as a keynote speaker, as well as a pack of protestors outside. According to Fox 4, about 100 people gathered outside the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas to hold signs and chant. The event was attended by Ted Cruz, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Rep. Pete Sessions, and other local Rs. Trump Jr. thanked Texas for helping raise funds, stating that "Texas gave us the funds that we needed to go over and win all those other states."

Budget survey
The City of Dallas is asking citizens to voice their opinions about several important budget issues, from infrastructure improvements to animal services by completing a quick survey. It's only six questions long, and the info will be provided to the City Council for their consideration in the budget development process. Deadline is April 2.

Job Fair
On March 18 from 9 am-1 pm, Dallas Park & Recreation Dept. is hosting its annual job fair for summer positions, which run for 8 weeks. You work 35 hours per week at $10.60 per hour, and get on-the-job training for roles such as coordinating activities and field trips. You must be 18 or older and bring a driver's license and social security card. The fair is at the Nash-Davis Recreation Center t 3710 N. Hampton St. Call 214-670-8847 for more info.

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Convention Center News

Dallas City Council drops $142 million for convention center re-do

Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has opened as a warming center in Dallas.

Courtesy photo

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The Dallas Convention Center got a big infusion of cash for its imminent makeover. According to a release, the Dallas City Council awarded more than $187 million in contracts for construction projects in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD) Master Plan.

The contracts are as follows:

$141.5 million contract to Perkins&Will and Populous for architectural, engineering, and design services for the Convention Center Expansion West of Lamar (Component 1)
$42 million in city contributions and $31 million in federal funding, including $20 million from the Reconnecting Communities grant program awarded through a partnership with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). This funding will be used to construct the foundations for three deck caps, as well as the capping and foundation of the Lamar crossing, near the KBHCCD.
$3.7 million to Metropolitan Infrastructure, PLLC, a Dallas-based M/WBE firm to oversee the renovation of Pioneer Plaza and Cemetery.

Convention and Event Services is leading a team of architects, engineers, and other contractors to design a Convention Center district from Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station to Old City Park that will connect surrounding communities, meet convention attendees’ evolving needs.

"The City Council has made a transformational investment to realize the vision for a reimagined Convention Center district,” said Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “The local and global expertise of our project partners will be instrumental in creating a facility that not only meets current and future convention demands but connects the surrounding residential community and serves downtown workers, benefitting Dallas economic growth and social vibrancy for generations."

With more than 40 conventions booked in the facility scheduled to open in 2029, the new KBHCCD expansion plans include
800,000 square feet of Exhibit Hall space 170,000 square feet of Ballroom space, including a 100,000-square-foot largest ballroom 100,000 square feet of Meeting Rooms and 2,000 parking spaces.