The Shorthorn - ‘May-Ray’ neighborhood near UTA targeted for improvement

HOME

‘May-Ray’ neighborhood near UTA targeted for improvement

Written by Harold Loren, Contributor to The Shorthorn

Tuesday, 30 June 2009 05:01 PM

The City of Arlington aims to redevelop neighborhoods near the new special events center on the southeast side of campus. (The Shorthorn: Tim Crumpton)

Arlington community leaders are working to provide new investment incentives to outside and local developers and turn downtown and the campus’ southeast border into vibrant areas with shops, restaurants, offices and new housing.

At the Downtown Arlington Management Corporation’s board of directors’ annual retreat June 17, members targeted the redevelopment of the Mary Street-Ray Street area and identified it as one of their top priorities.

The agency, a private, nonprofit community development organization, was hired by the city in 2006 to help facilitate and coordinate all aspects of downtown revitalization.

The group and the university are working closely to redevelop the “May-Ray” neighborhood, said Kristin Sullivan, Media Relations assistant vice president. After the university announced plans to build a $73 million special events center and a $67 million mixed-use development with retail and student living spaces, the May-Ray effort increased, she said. The center will host indoor sports, commencements, convocations, area events and more. The mixed-use development adds to the center’s garage plans by attaching student housing and retail spaces.

The May-Ray neighborhood is on the southeast side of campus and adjacent to the projects’ planned areas. Marked by Second Street on the north, Mary Street on the east, Ray Street on the south and Center Street on the west, the land is essential to the development of downtown Arlington, said Maggie Campbell, Downtown Arlington Management Corporation president.

“We want to bring together parties who are interested in selling out of the area with developers who want to buy into the area,” Campbell said. “The city is prepared to offer the right incentives to the appropriate parties.”

Map

Click thumbnail for a larger version

She said board members and city officials worry that unsafe appearances in the area may scare away private investors. Most duplexes on the street are from the 1960s and are in disrepair. Redeveloping the land may also result in more property tax revenue for the city, Campbell said.

“We see things around here that are not necessarily safe for children to be around,” said Norma Graciela Reyes, an area resident of three years, translated from Spanish. “My husband is very vigilant for us, but the evenings around here are unpredictable.”

Reyes’ husband Raymond said he likes the idea of redeveloping the area.

“It’s a proposition I welcome if it helps to keep people like me employed,” he said. “I don’t mind moving to some area nearby. I’m only concerned being able to afford it.”

Raymond Antonio Reyes, who has two children, works in construction projects around the area. He said a safe neighborhood is an important concern to any father.

Sullivan said safer neighborhoods for students and creating a synergy with downtown redevelopment efforts is important to the university.

The May-Ray redevelopment plans were not a factor in selecting the special events center site, she said. UTA land availability happens to fall in the southeast part of campus, she said.

Students living in Lipscomb Hall are the closest current university residents to the May-Ray area. Tyrone Smith, a finance senior and part-time resident assistant at Lipscomb Hall, said he’s aware of the homeless people and general lack of lighting in the evenings, but he remains largely unaffected.

Smith said upgrading seems like a good idea, but he’s concerned about the project’s pace.

“Knocking everything out and starting from scratch will probably put a lot of people out at once,” he said. “I would like to see them work with the current residents in a correct manner.”

Views: 1395 | E-mail

Comments (1)

1 Consider this.
Written by Vinodh Valluri, on 07-01-2009 09:45
Development in The City of Arlington: a very welcome proposition.
UTA students would definitely love to have a home that is safe, close to campus and, most importantly, affordable. The city might consider bike trails along this newly developed area to reduce congestion and pollution around Downtown Arlington. I wish that all this new development will not just pull in rich people from outside Arlington, but help make the lives of the average poor, struggling UTA student and the average Arlington, TX resident safe, affordable, convenient, and a notch more live-able.

Report Abuse

Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 August 2009 10:30 AM )

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]