Ditto and TXDOT

Yesterday was very interesting and some things happened that you might not be aware of, so I will try to explain on this blog.  The afternoon session was of particular interest because some posturing was accomplished that was at my district’s expense.  Two weeks ago Jimmy Bennett suggested that the City’s Bond package should be extended from 4 yrs. to 5 yrs.  This was an effort to increase money available for roads and also to include an additional 12 million for the redevelopment of Ditto Golf Course.  Now I brought out that the city enjoyed over 140,000 rounds of golf last year.  46,000 were played at Ditto and 36,000 were played a Terra Verde.  Golf Advocate Magazine rates Terra Verde as the 7^th best course in the Metro Plex, and the Texas Star course in Euless as 4^th, while Ditto is ranked 42^nd.  The expenditure of 16 million, 8 for the course and 8 for the clubhouse/banquet facility, would allow for tournaments to recoup our expenses while bringing the course up to top 5 status.  Then Ditto was dropped from the bond package alltogether, in exchange for more roads.  But I was assured that financing would come from elsewhere, and that this project would be funded because it is shovel ready.  This is yet to be confirmed, although people are working in earnest.  I will explain as much as I can this evening at the Ditto Citizens meeting starting at 6:30 at Sherrod Elementary.

The second thing of interest was the fact that the city started the process of purchasing the TXDOT property at the northwest corner of I-30 and Collins.  This property has been held by TXDOT for decades and they have finally decided to remove it from their property roles.  The City feels that this property is premiere and something very special should occupy that space, and we are proposing a simple land for cash exchange.  The City would like to entice businesses to invest in the land north of I-30, alluring people to come early and stay late.  This concept will require business offices, and leisure commercial establishments to coexist.  Once this transaction is complete and the land is wrestled from the state, we expect to be approached by developers of every level, hawking concepts from apartments to missile silos.  That is why it is important for the City to be able to control what establishments go on this property and the extent of their quality.  I am very excited for the North because TXDOT is finally on the move, and something good is going to happen there.  Call me an optimist.

Oh, and just as a side note, this site has gone over 31,000 views in a year and a half.