DFW At Center Of Area Revitalization
<B> DFW At Center Of Area Revitalization</B>
By Frank Rosci
The North Texas cities of Dallas and Fort Worth are regarded as one of the leading business travel and corporate meetings growth markets in the Southwest and, in fact, the nation. Among the most significant developments affecting business travel to the Dallas/Fort Worth area is the expansion of DFW International Airport, located midway between the cities and 17.5 miles from their respective business districts.
Key projects at DFW--the world's third-busiest airport in total operations--include an intermodal transit system linking the airport to Dallas, Fort Worth and other nearby cities; a new international terminal; a state-of-the-art people-mover system; and a consolidated rent-a-car facility, located at the south end of the airport, which is designed to house the 10 rental car companies that serve DFW. Also a new, environmentally friendly $16-million de-icing facility is under construction and expected to be complete by February.
A $109 million expansion of Terminal B has been completed, adding five new and seven renovated gates. Three 2,000-ft. runway extensions also have been completed, along with several parking enhancements, including 35,000 new spaces, and the addition of a 900-ft.-long skybridge connecting Terminals A and B.
Over the next three years, DFW's three 11,400-ft. runways will be extended to 13,400 feet, while an eighth 9,560-ft. runway is planned for the near future.
Long-term plans at the airport, to the year 2009 and beyond, call for doubling existing terminal facilities and creating 125 new gates. There are currently 127 gates.
"Recent and planned improvements at the airport will serve to heighten the travel experience for business travelers, and assure them greater degrees of comfort, convenience and safety," said Jeffrey P. Fegan, DFW's executive director. "In all, the airport will double its capacity and invest more than $5.5 billion in enhancements."
Considered the single most important economic asset in the North Texas region, DFW has been a significant factor in the relocation and expansion of more than 400 corporate headquarters to Dallas/Fort Worth over the past decade, CVB officials said.
On the hotel side, the 310-room Wyndham Arlington DFW Airport South--recently converted from a Marriott--is undergoing a $4.6 million renovation that will affect all first floor public space, all meeting facilities and all guest room corridors by early 2000.
The 550-room Fairmont Hotel at the Dallas Arts District has refurbished all its guest rooms as part of a $25 million renovation for its 30th anniversary. "The refurbishment not only increases the elegance of each room, but also makes business travelers' stays more productive," said Cyril Isnard, the hotel's general manager.
Also, the 1,122-room Hyatt Regency Dallas is putting the finishing touches on a $65 million expansion set to debut in early 2000. It will add 183 new guest rooms, and will have 32 meeting rooms, 160,000 square feet of meeting space and 62,000 square feet of exhibit space.
In Forth Worth, renovations on the city's convention center continue. Work involves making room for contiguous exhibit space, meeting rooms and a ballroom. About $40 million in bond money and hotel bed tax revenues has been earmarked for the project, with officials looking for another $20 million in financing. Construction is expected to begin in April 2000 and last for two years.