Mayor Ross Highlights Transportation, Economic Development and Community Investments Planned as Part of ‘Arlington's Tomorrow’
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross highlighted the City’s current successes and his vision for the future during his annual State of the City Address on Oct. 30, 2024, at Esports Stadium Arlington.
Ross, who is serving his second term, discussed a variety of topics, including economic development, tourism, investments in public infrastructure and amenities designed to enrich our community, and other milestone moments recently celebrated in The American Dream City. The theme of the event, hosted by the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, was "Arlington's Tomorrow."
Among the highlights:
Mayor’s American Dream Award
Ross recognized the contributions of City Manager Trey Yelverton with the 3rd annual Mayor’s American Dream Award. Arlington Tomorrow Foundation Executive Director Carolyn Mentesana was the inaugural recipient of this honor in 2022, followed by Green Oaks School executive director and co-founder Jean Jewell in 2023.
Jobs and Economy
Anthem
Trademark Properties is thinking big with its vision for Anthem, which is the multi-million-dollar redevelopment of the Lincoln Square shopping center. In the coming years, this transformative mixed-use development project aims to attract more young professionals, provide more options for Entertainment District visitors to stay in town longer and fill a gap in North Arlington’s housing, office space, retail and dining needs.
E-space, Inc.
Through a public-private partnership with the City and the AEDC, E-space, Inc. will establish their North American headquarters and satellite manufacturing facility at our Municipal Airport. E-space will create and fill a minimum of 400 aerospace industry jobs with an average salary of $95,000 in the first five years.
Acciona
Acciona Facility Services is a 100-year-old multinational conglomerate based in Spain and will establish its U.S. headquarters for their facility services division in Arlington. With four core lines of business including renewable energies, water management, construction and facility services, they have over 57,000 employees in 40 countries. The company typically employs 250-300 workers per each of its locations and will promote job opportunities to Arlington residents.
Great American Media
GAC Media, a prominent media enterprise holding U.S. cable networks Great American Family and Great American Faith & Living as well as streaming services, will relocate its corporate headquarters from Fort Worth. The company will establish a minimum of 20 high-quality jobs at the new location. The City will reimburse GAC Media $100,000 for the relocation and preparation of its corporate headquarters as part of their Chapter 380 agreement, funded by the Innovation and Venture Capital Fund.
Ikon Technologies
Ikon Technologies, owned by longtime local businessman and UTA alumnus Sam Mahrouq, recently celebrated their office expansion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this past August. The innovative start-up software developer serving the auto dealership industry will remain in Arlington, with expanded capacity for high-wage job opportunities and major revenue growth over the next several years.
The Arlington EDC will provide a $7 million grant as part of a 15-year agreement with the Ikon. In return, Ikon will maintain its headquarters in the city, grow the total number of employees from 116 to a minimum of 266 workers and participate in annual outreach to UTA students and graduates for employment opportunities, among other conditions of the agreement. Business retention and expansion is a key component of the City’s economic development strategic plan.
Mozee, Inc.
Mozee, Inc., a leader in autonomous mobility innovation, will establish its U.S. headquarters and a new automotive manufacturing and assembly plant in Arlington. The Dallas-based company manufactures some associated parts through a 3D printing process to assemble autonomous 12-passenger shuttles that are road-legal and capable of speeds up to 45 mph. The company is expected to hire more than 100 employees with a minimum average annual salary of $100,000, with plans to hire local residents and graduates from The University of Texas at Arlington.
Future Loews Arlington Hotel
Residents may have already spotted the construction happening near the Sheraton Arlington Hotel. That’s a new 735-space parking garage that will support the National Medal of Honor Museum, Esports Stadium Arlington and the Arlington Museum of Art as well as Loews Hotel’s next planned upscale hotel. The future 513-room hotel would be the third Loews hotel property for Arlington, following the opening of Live! by Loews and the Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center. The future $410 million hotel, set to open in 2028, will replace the 311-room Sheraton. The Sheraton, built in 1984, is expected to be razed sometime after the World Cup in 2026.
Caravan Hotel
Big changes are coming to the corner of Division and Collins streets. The old Caravan motel has been torn down, and in its place will soon be a 145-room upscale boutique hotel. The $45 million hotel, which will be called the Caravan Court Hotel, will pay homage to the former property’s mid-century aesthetic and the historical significance of Bankhead Highway in Arlington. The project, expected to be complete in December 2026, includes restoring and re-using the iconic Caravan Motor Hotel sign.
Meeting Community Needs
ACTIV
The voter-approved active adult center, ACTIV, opens in March. This state-of-the-art center, located off West Green Oaks Boulevard in West Arlington, is designed for patrons ages 50 and up. It will be the City’s largest recreation center and will include a lap pool and a hydrotherapy pool, a gym with walking track, a weight room, and a comfortable lounge perfect for billiards games or movie screenings. There is plenty of spaces for classes, dances, senior sports leagues and social events. ACTIV also features outdoor amenities, including pickleball courts, two walking trails, a greenhouse, and a community garden.
High-Speed Internet Access
Nearly every home, school and businesses across Arlington will soon have access to high-speed internet thanks to the continuing citywide investment in fiber-powered internet. Arlington currently has the highest fiber build rate in the United States, according to AT&T. This means our nearly 400,000 residents and 15 million visitors can experience greatly enhanced internet service in the not too-distant future as the fiber network grows.
Possible 2025 Bond Election
A committee of residents is already hard at work prioritizing a lengthy list of proposed investments that would strengthen our street and sidewalk network, our parks, public safety capabilities and other services. The City Council will get a first look at these proposed projects in December as we considering putting forth a $200 million bond election next May.
Street Investments
Approximately 83% of Arlington’s streets have a satisfactory or better rating. We have more than $190 million in projects planned for the next four years to make that rating even better. Our Public Works crews anticipate more than $54 million in capital improvements and $37.4 million in street maintenance projects this fiscal year that will make the commute smoother and safer for both drivers and pedestrians.
Community Cleanliness
The City is creating a new four-person Community Enhancement “Clean Team,” which will focus on issues such as litter and graffiti cleanup, bandit sign removal, burnt out streetlights and unsightly curbs and medians. Arlington is creating this team to focus on high-traffic corridors throughout the city in response to public feedback in the Citizens Satisfaction Survey.
Transportation
High-Speed Rail
A proposed high-speed rail between Dallas and Fort Worth would be an economic game changer and job creator that would put Arlington at the center of the region’s long-term transportation plans. The City is working with the North Central Texas Council of Governments and continues championing for a rail stop. Arlington and the region’s continuing growth underscores an immediate need for innovative solutions, and high-speed rail is a major step to helping us with our transportation challenges.
This project is currently in environmental review, which is a key step toward determining feasibility. High-speed rail in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is important to broader plans for high speed rail between Houston and Dallas and for potential high speed rail along the Interstate 35 corridor to better move people across the state.
Gondola Grant Award
This fall, Arlington expects to hear whether it will receive funding from Swyft Cities for a futuristic public transportation pilot project – an elevated cable and rail system called Whoosh that would transport passengers around the Entertainment District high above the streets. These autonomous, electric aerial gondolas would not only provide passengers with spectacular views, they would also help relieve traffic congestion and air pollution.
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