Recommit to downtown
Re: “Same crossroads but a changing map — Fading downtown Dallas now is grappling with the potential kick to the gut of losing AT&T, Comerica, the Stars and Mavericks all at once,” by Robert Wilonsky, Sunday Opinion.
Downtown Dallas is in crisis, and pretending otherwise is how you lose a city.
Right now we face the possibility of the Mavericks and Stars walking away from the central core, AT&T eyeing the suburbs and even talk of abandoning and demolishing our own I.M. Pei–designed City Hall after decades of deferred maintenance.
If our major employers and our major teams and City Hall leave the central business district, that is not just a real estate story. That is Dallas surrendering its identity and its economic engine. Research is clear: Healthy central business districts concentrate higher-paying industries, drive regional competitiveness and signal the strength of the whole metro.
Opinion
Other cities have refused to surrender. Washington, D.C. turned the once-neglected Navy Yard/Anacostia waterfront into a thriving mixed-use district around Nationals Park. That area has added billions in investment, millions of square feet of housing, office and retail, and nearly two million annual visitors, with the neighborhood’s residential population up more than 30% since 2010.
Minneapolis leaned into its Warehouse District/North Loop, reusing historic buildings, investing in street activation, nightlife, housing and entertainment, and using targeted public support to keep people and dollars downtown rather than watching them drift outward. Baltimore did it a generation ago with the Inner Harbor, proving that coordinated public–private reinvestment can flip a decaying urban waterfront into an economic and civic centerpiece.
Dallas must do the same — together. That means corporate leaders, civic leaders with no direct development carve-out and City Hall in the same room, with the same near-term goal: keep our teams, modernize our public assets, activate our streets and recommit to downtown as the heart of Dallas. As downtown goes, so goes Dallas.
Tom Gresback, Dallas
How about some fair perks?
This year, my wife and I joined thousands of others in doing the unthinkable: We skipped the State Fair entirely. Not because we didn’t want to go. Not because we’ve outgrown the thrill of rides, pig races, Big Tex photos and agony of defeat by the bottle ring toss. But because dropping $150 to $175 for a single day of nostalgia felt less like entertainment and more like financial self-sabotage.
Here’s the math that made me wince: one day at the fair, or 12 months of Netflix, plus my annual Dallas Morning News subscription. When you’re forced to pit corn dogs against journalism, something’s gone terribly wrong.
But here’s the beautiful thing about problems — they’re just solutions waiting for their moment to shine. Fair officials, I’m throwing you a lifeline wrapped in cotton candy: Reimagine the ticket itself. Transform it from a glorified gate pass into an experience passport.
What if every full-price admission came loaded with treasures — one free carnival game (because everyone deserves a shot at that oversize teddy bear), one complimentary ride (Ferris wheel excluded, we’re not asking for miracles), and a 50% discount on one food item.
It’s smart business disguised as generosity. It’s the difference between “you may enter” and “welcome back, friend.”
The 2026 fair doesn’t have to be another casualty of inflation. With creative solutions that add genuine value, fair officials can transform the narrative from expensive to “too good to miss.”
Give people a reason to believe their money goes further, and watch them return in droves. Because at the end of the day, we want to come back. We want the sticky cotton candy fingers, a Big Tex selfie and a Fletcher’s corny dog.
We just need you to meet us halfway. Make it fair to attend the fair, and we’ll make it worth your while.
Lawrence Swicegood, Coppell
My favorites, too
Re: “Three cheers for three columnists,” by Carol McNatt, Saturday Letters.
Thank you to this letter writer for expressing my exact thoughts about these three columnists: Robert Wilonsky, Christopher de Vinck and Peter Johnson. They are my favorites as well, and all of these mentioned columns of recent have truly touched me.
I have been saying repeatedly “Wake up America!” Our divisions have almost undone us already, but I don’t think it’s too late if we can get back to our roots. We are all God’s children and the golden rule can reunite us. Yes, may we see each other as God sees us.
Thank you, Carol, for putting my thoughts into words of wisdom.
Kay Martz McKinney, Dallas/Little Forest Hills
Decorations pose a risk, as well
Re: “Bright lights, big controversy — Neighbors take dim view of mansion’s outsize holiday decor,” Friday Metro & Business story.
This story glosses over the real issue: the absolute chaos and gridlock. I live one block north of the Deloache house and experience the disruption and mayhem firsthand. I think the extravagant decorations necessitate an update to the city’s nuisance code.
Saturday night (20 days before Halloween), my daughter had difficulty leaving home because of the cars in line to see the decorations. Christmas will be significantly worse. Last Christmas, we drove home along Edgemere Road but had no way to get to the house by car due to the overwhelming number of vehicles and pedestrians clogging our street. After 45 minutes of gridlock, my husband entered our street from Preston Road and drove against traffic, with people shooting the finger and honking until we reached our driveway. For weeks, we were literally trapped in our house.
People left parked cars, walked through our yards and left trash almost daily. In an emergency, first responders would have extreme difficulty responding. And a child walking to see the decorations could easily get hit by a car.
I’m not opposed to holiday decor, but I’ve contacted the Dallas City Council and my HOA in search of a solution.
Ann Pask, Dallas/Preston Hollow