It’s been a long time since anybody did anything at the site of the old Texas Stadium besides drive past, remember the Troy Aikman/Michael Irvin/Emmit Smith glory days, and silently curse Jerry Jones under their breath. But the venue in which the Cowboys played winning seasons (yes, yes, they did have that one in the new stadium) may once more be the site of great feats—of shopping, working, dining, and living, if the mixed-use development plans currently before the Irving City Council come to pass.
It may not be as inspiring as Aikman to Harper on a game-sealing slant pass, but San Diego developer Dene Oliver unveiled his proposal before the city council yesterday, according to the Dallas Morning News:
Dene Oliver, the CEO of San-Diego-based Oliver McMillan, visited Irving City Hall today and went public with his plans for the old Texas Stadium site. It’s been in the works, under wraps, since the mayor and chamber approached Oliver about nine months ago.
But his plan was shy on details for the site, focusing instead on the many multimillion-dollar projects his company has built or is building in cities from New York to Honolulu.
Most of those are mixed-use projects — trendy lofts above sprawling blocks of retail, dining and office space. Presumably, that’s what Oliver would like to develop on the stadium site. He wants the council to vote Thursday to give his company its blessing (and six months of exclusive negotiating rights) as he hires architects and engineers to draw up plans as pretty as these ones.
The “these ones” in question are the portfolio of Oliver McMillan, a collection of sleek, contemporary-looking mixed use developments similar to many dotting Dallas and the Metroplex. (Houstonians will recognize the company’s work at the River Oaks District, pictured above.) While it’s not exactly a bold vision, the idea that there could be something else on the former site of such a landmark is interesting nonetheless.
