Arlington and Its Future Part 3

Arlington has been discussing downtown revitalization for years and years. And yet, nothing has ever happened. However, it seems that recently more and more groups are showing a real interest in Arlington, specifically the downtown, entertainment, and UTA areas.

The construction of the Cowboys stadium near the Ballpark is perhaps the catalyst behind the recent excitement, making the half cent tax increase well worth it. The development of Glorypark near the two playing fields will be a wonderful addition to the entertainment district, hopefully providing a unique atmosphere for people to spend their evenings in Arlington, rather than Fort Worth or Dallas.

UTA plans to attract investors to develop a stretch of area near the campus and downtown to create a college atmosphere, with restaurants, shops, etc. While UTA is traditionally seen as a commuter school, the drive to bring more of a residential campus benefits the downtown area greatly. I have always referred to UTA as the concrete campus - hopefully a little beauty and uniqueness, along with cool restaurants and shops will change my opinion of the university's appearance.

Finally, plans for the dreaded Division street are in the works. Division street - used car lots, shady motels, ugly sidewalks, and prostitutes help define this street. It is difficult for businesses to want to locate in this area; however, apparently the ball is rolling with advice coming from the person who helped shape Sundance Square in Fort Worth. These three projects will add a little spice to Arlington, and provide better alternatives for eating and shopping than Arlington currently has to offer.

One obstacle cited by OK Carter and others - Mission Arlington. Mission Arlington is an amazing ministry - reaching thousands of residents in poverty by providing hope through the meeting of physical and spiritual needs. I have seen firsthand the power of Christ moving through this organization all around the city. While governor, George W. Bush came to Arlington, calling Tillie the Mother Teresa of Texas and promoting Mission Arlington as a role model for others to follow. I am glad Mission Arlington is here and hope it continues to reach those in need while spreading the Gospel.

For downtown investors though, Mission Arlington is a problem. Many of the buildings in or near downtown are owned by Mission Arlington, and the traffic in and out of Mission Arlington scares many prospective business owners. One can walk out of UTA bookstore and see the whole operation in progress, with donations piling on the sidewalk, people milling about, and constant activity taking place on the premises. The question presented is: what to do with Mission Arlington?

A couple of suggestions: 1. The city and redevelopers should embrace the presence of Mission Arlington as a necessary and unique partner to downtown revitalization. Oftentimes, cities hide their homeless and poor populations from tourists. With Mission Arlington in the heart of the city, this will be difficult to do. But we don't need to hide the problem of poverty, but instead seek ways to include Mission Arlington in the process. As the businesses open, jobs will be available. Perhaps encouraging businesses to hire some referrals from Mission Arlington will be a good start. And it makes us an honest city. By not hiding our population that is in need, Arlington can become a beacon for other cities seeking how best to revitalize a downtown area without kicking the homeless to the outskirts.

2. Mission Arlington should invest in its infrastructure to make it aesthetically pleasing. Although Mission Arlington has renovated many of its buildings over the last 20 years, let's face it - many of the Mission Arlington buildings are plain, boring, or even ugly. If Mission Arlington would invest in creating eye appealing landscaping, building structures, and organization to its many properties, it would put investors more at ease. There is no reason why Mission Arlington should not invest in its infrastructure to make it "fit in" with the plan for downtown. After all, I believe it is part of showing gratitude to the community that helps support it. OK Carter somewhat criticized FBC and Mission Arlington for engulfing so much property downtown. FBC is doing much to enhance its structural appearance. Mission Arlington should do the same, while continuing to meet the needs of those in the community.

These are not easy problems to solve, and there will always be those who are prejudiced toward the poor; but Arlington should strive, with cooperation of businesses and ministries, to make downtown a destination place for more than just those going to pay a ticket at the courthouse, or seek help at a mission. At the same time, Arlington must continue to assist those in need, by providing for their physical needs, increasing educational and job skill programs, and reducing the number of families in poverty.

Arlington and Its Future Part 2

So where does Arlington go from here? OK Carter discussed two issues facing Arlington in recent columns. One, that the city must respond to the changing demographics, and two, the need for a UTA strip (and Glorypark). First, over the last 16 years, Arlington has become more racially diverse. Carter cites figures that show Arlington's racial demographic to be 50% white, 50% minority. He brings up the term "White Flight" as part of Arlington's future. The practice of White Flight is racist at its worst, ignorant at its best. White Flight out of major US cities caused innercity communities to become forgotten, rundown, and crime-ridden. (Interestingly, many major cities have begun revitalization projects which have brought "the downtown" back to life.) The thought that a city will decline simply because of racial demographics is a product of the south - and of prejudiced rationale by those moving. However, Carter does not give any solutions in his article, but simply brings the conversation to the forefront.

The more pressing concern for Arlington residents shouldn't be race, but socio-economic make-up of residents. How Arlington manages to provide needed resources for those in need while also remaining an attractive city for young families to live in and invest in is the main issue Arlington faces. With the plethora of churches in Arlington, including Mission Arlington, Arlington Urban Ministries, Salvation Army, and the Life Shelter, the needs of many residents are able to be met, or should be met, by churches and ministries. The city should depend on these agencies and ministries to provide for the material needs of the people. Not by providing government funds, but by encouraging these ministries to take charge, as many already have, in this area. And local churches should carry the burden, not complaining about what the city is doing or not doing to help meet material needs. Church being the church, salt and light in the communtiy. (This is a separate issue altogether, but one that churches need to face. Churches must begin to reflect their communities, reaching out to those in need - and perhaps in the process, become more diverse. Afterall, it was MLK, Jr who said that 11:00am on Sunday morning is the most segregated time in American life. That is a stinging indictment on the hypocrisy in the church concerning issues of race and inclusion. And one we must address as Christians. Better community = better church = better city.)

What should the city do? Providing quality education for all Arlington children in the key. Arlington teachers should be the highest paid teachers in the area, the school buildings, even the ones on the east side of town, should be equipped with the best curriculum, computers, playgrounds, etc., including aesthetically pleasing buildings and landscaping. If Arlington schools continue to be among the best, by attracting the best teachers, paying the best, and offering the finest in environmental conditions, then the city will remain attractive for families, and even become more attractive. Is this idealistic thinking? To a certain extent, but providing an excellent educational environment supersedes other issues facing the city.

Next, our police should be among the highest paid, and more police should be hired and in place around the city. With smash and grab robberies of vehicles escalating, more needs to be done to follow leads in these "minor" cases, in order to stem the rise of this type of crime. Better paid and more numerous police officers will help in this process. Cameras at intersections and other public locations would help as well. It is not an invasion of privacy to use technology to stop crime, no matter whether it is just running a red light or something more severe like assault in a parking lot. Cameras equipped with face scanning technology are necessary. This is not Big Brother, but rather, advances in technology that will help make Arlington a safer place to live, with the best officers assisting in lowering the crime rate in our city.

Education and safety are key ingredients to maintaining a vibrant, attractive city. Too expensive, you say? We can't afford not to do it, I believe.

Next item: what should downtown look like, including the "eye-sore" that OK Carter sees in FBC and Mission Arlington sprawling across six city blocks downtown...