Downtown News

Cowboys to open state-of-the-art fitness center in downtown Dallas

This will be the third development of the Cowboys Fit franchise.

Photo by James D. Smith and Jeremiah Jhass

The Dallas Cowboys are opening a new location of Cowboys Fit, their trademark fitness center, in an oh-so central location: the AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas.

This will be the third development of the Cowboys Fit franchise and, according to a release, will open in winter 2019.

Called Cowboys Fit at the AT&T Discovery District — which seems like an unmanageably long name — the 20,000-square-foot center will house all aspects of health and fitness in the same building, with a training staff, boutique-style classes, and technology tools.

Cowboys Fit chairman Mark Mastrov says in a statement that they're excited to be part of the AT&T family.

"The Cowboys Fit brand has proven that it consistently raises the bar when it comes to the fitness industry," Mastrov says. "We have no doubt that our third location at the AT&T Discovery District will uphold this ideal and continue to offer a comprehensive experience to our growing community."

Bringing Cowboys Fit to downtown Dallas is the latest addition to the AT&T Discovery District, as AT&T invests in its headquarters campus. They've already teed up a food hall and beer garden, and a glitzy, high-tech outdoor plaza.

Membership benefits include:

State-of-the-art equipment, including the same strength and resistance machines and cardio machines seen in the Dallas Cowboys team training rooms.
Access to other locations. Cowboys Fit will have membership options that allow members to work out at all Cowboys Fit locations. "Membership options," meaning you probably pay extra.
Group fitness. Classes include yoga, barre, circuit training, and cardio.
Retail. You can buy stuff, i.e. "exclusive merchandise" only available inside the doors of Cowboys Fit.

The first location opened at The Star in Frisco, and a second location opened in Plano in June. Rates at the Plano location are the lowest, with some deals as low as $50 per month. Frisco is the highest at $88 a month, because you get to rub elbows, sort of, with the team. Rates at the downtown location will probably fall somewhere in between.

AT&T marketing officer Lori Lee calls the AT&T campus a unique destination. "To have Cowboys Fit as part of the development is a big step forward for the AT&T Discovery District and builds on the foundation of our longstanding, strategic partnership with the Dallas Cowboys, particularly with AT&T Stadium," she says.

downtown

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

politics