Upward trajectory

Dallas muscles onto list of top 20 cities with strongest pandemic economic recovery

Slowly but surely, things seem to be improving.

Dallas is recovering economically from the COVID-19 pandemic more robustly than many other big-city counterparts around the United States and in Texas, a new study shows.

Fort Worth is doing even better.

The two cities rank among the top 20 on a new list, published July 29 by financial advice website SmartAsset, of the U.S. cities with the strongest economic recoveries from the pandemic. Dallas lands at No. 19, and Fort Worth, at No. 11. Among the most populous cities in the SmartAsset study, Dallas ranks highest.

Only one other Texas city, El Paso, appears in the top 20 (No. 8). Salt Lake City, Utah tops the list.

SmartAsset looked at five data points for 49 of the largest U.S. cities to determine the economic winners:

Percentage change in consumer spending
Percentage change in small businesses that are open
Percentage change in small business revenue
Percentage change in job postings
March 2021 unemployment rate

Dallas performed better than the studywide average in three of the metrics, and Fort Worth, in four (although some of the numbers still look pretty bleak). The DFW stats are:

1. Change in consumer spending (January 2020-April 2021)

Dallas: 13.6 percent
Fort Worth: 9.3 percent
Studywide average: 7.3 percent

2. Change in small businesses open (January 2020-April 2021)

Dallas: -27.0 percent
Fort Worth: -26.5 percent
Studywide average: -32.51 percent

3. Change in small business revenue (January 2020-April 2021)

Dallas: -28.2 percent
Fort Worth: -22.7 percent
Studywide average: -30.9 percent

4. March 2021 unemployment rate

Dallas: 6.9 percent
Fort Worth: 5.3 percent
Studywide average: 6.6 percent

The SmartAsset ranking puts Austin at No. 23 for pandemic economic recovery, San Antonio at No. 38, and Houston at No. 44.

In an effort to further lift the DFW economy, representatives of the Dallas Regional Chamber plan to embark on eight corporate recruitment trips this year, beginning in September.

“Charles Schwab, Salesforce, Copart, McKesson, Kubota, Core-Mark, Active Network, and Louis Vuitton are among many companies now here that we met first and early on road trips,” Mike Rosa, senior vice president of economic development at the Dallas Regional Chamber, wrote in a July 29 blog post. “Successes like these make the long but always direct flights, suitcase living, and hours stuck in worse traffic than ours well worth it … .”

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DPD News

Dallas signs off on lease on UNT campus for police training academy

DPD

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The Dallas City Council approved a lease with the University of North Texas Dallas campus for a proposed Dallas Police Training Academy. The lease paves the way for the development of a new Law Enforcement Training Center and Criminal Justice Center on a 20-acre site at UNT-Dallas, part of the City’s efforts to modernize police training and deepen academic partnerships.

The new facility, which was first proposed in 2021, will house the Dallas Police Department’s Basic and In-Service Training Academy, along with a Criminal Justice Center, creating a centralized, state-of-the-art campus for officer development.

Training spaces will include modern classrooms, indoor simulation labs, and areas for defensive tactics instruction.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to preparing officers through modern, state of the art, community-connected training,” said Dominique Artis, Dallas Chief of Public Safety. “The combination of a police academy and Criminal Justice Center at a university campus enhances recruitment, education, and public trust.”

Benefits of the Law Enforcement Training Center and Criminal Justice Center include

Academic Partnership: Collaboration with UNT-Dallas opens doors for research, continuing education, and career pathways for both officers and students alike - creating a pipeline to future cadets and expanding opportunities for local talent
.Modern Training Facilities: The campus will feature simulation environments, flexible classroom space, and the latest instructional technology.
Strategic Location: As the first police training academy in southern Dallas, the project brings long-term public investment to the area.
Dual-Campus Model: This site complements a planned Public Safety Complex elsewhere in Dallas that will serve as a field training location for both DPD and Dallas Fire-Rescue.

According to KERA, the training academy is estimated to cost $185 million, plus $90 million for the public safety complex, for a total of $275 million. There is currently $96.5 million committed including $50 million from the 2024 Bond Program passed by the voters in May 2024, along with state grants, money from the Caruth Fund at Communities Foundation of Texas, and private fundraising commitments. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.

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