Visual Merchandising and Store Design | VMSD.com

Take a look at what the Big D has in store for this year’s IRDC attendees.

By Anne DiNardo

The city of Dallas has a new slogan: Live Large. Think Big.

But the city’s outlook hasn’t always been so optimistic. “Dallas is one of those downtowns that everyone migrated out of,” says David Cassidy, a 20-plus-year resident and principal at Callison’s Dallas office. Indeed, during the 1990s, fewer than 300 people resided in the central business district. Today, that picture is much different as a visionary arts district, growing residential sector and healthy luxury retail offering place this city of 343 square miles on the verge of a rebirth. “In the last five years, there’s been a total transformation,” says Cassidy.

Now more than 6000 Dallas residents live in the central business district. New hotels, restaurants and nightlife venues are popping up, including Wolfgang Puck’s new Five-Sixty restaurant atop the recently renovated Reunion Tower and the W Hotel in Victory Park.

A driving force in this activity is a thriving downtown arts district that’s attracted local support, as well as world-class architecture (see sidebar below). This forward-thinking plan was set in motion 30 years ago when consultants recommended that Dallas relocate its major arts institutions, such as the symphony, opera and art museum, to take over a 68-acre stretch of parking lots and automobile showrooms on the northern edge of downtown.

The city’s retail offerings are anchored by Neiman Marcus’ original flagship, located in the downtown Main Street District. Just a short drive away is Highland Park Village, which was the nation’s first planned shopping center when it opened in 1931 and was recently listed as a National Historic Landmark. Its Mediterranean architecture and high-end shops, including Chanel, Hermes, Jimmy Choo and Carolina Herrera, make it a destination among the well-heeled. (See sidebar below.)

NorthPark Center, designed by Eero Saarinen in 1965, recently underwent a $250 million expansion, including a new 200,000-square-foot Nordstrom and an 88,000-square-foot Barneys New York. “NorthPark is so desirable that retailers go in with their best stores,” says Cassidy. The center’s clean and serene atmosphere is a backdrop for high-fashion tenants such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Burberry and Kate Spade, as well as modern works of art from the private collection of local art patrons Raymond and Patsy Nasher. “It’s like walking into a museum,” says John Von Mohr, vp and creative director at RYA Design Consultancy’s Dallas office.