Dallas developer and entrepreneur Craig Hall was the main focus at the North Texas District Council of the Urban Land Institute’s 5th Annual Impact Awards held earlier this month at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel. Hall was presented with ULI North Texas’ Vision Award celebrating his real estate career and arts leadership.

A recent example of Hall combining development and art in his career is the Art Walk which connects Ross Avenue to Flora Street in the Arts District through contemporary architecture and modern sculpture.

The presentation included a fireside chat moderated by Lucy Billingsley of Billingsley Company, a developer and friend of Hall’s, who covered a range of topics from career challenges, entrepreneurship, Hall’s latest book Boom: Bridging the Opportunity Gap to Reignite Startups, his adventures in winemaking, and the ongoing funding challenge for new businesses in the area compared to financial opportunities available on the coasts.

Craig Hall sits down with Lucy Billingsley for Impact Awards’ fireside chat. [Image: Courtesy ULI North Texas]

Along with honoring Hall, the Impact Awards also presented awards to high-profile new developments in the area as chosen by a five-person jury including ULI members from around the U.S.

American Airlines Skyview 8, the first completed building at American Airlines’ new DFW Airport headquarters, won the 2019 Impact Award in the Innovation category. The building was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli and developed by Crescent Real Estate. It features four towers connected by stairways and common areas.

“On behalf of American Airlines, we are thrilled to win the 2019 ULI Innovation Award for the Skyview 8 office complex,” said Joseph Pitchford, Crescent Real Estate, when accepting the award. ”We are grateful that the ULI jury recognized how this unique project embodies American’s extraordinary commitment to their team members and corporate culture.”

American Airlines Skyview 8, The Robert L. Crandall Campus [Image: Courtesy ULI North Texas]

Innovation finalists included Park District, submitted by Trammell Crow Company, and Gables McKinney Avenue Residences, submitted by Studio Outside.

The Dallas Farmers’ Market won the Public Places category, an entry submitted by the City of Dallas Economic Development Department. The awards jurists noted the “unique and authentic feel” architecture firm GFF gave the space. Public Places finalists included The Boardwalk at Granite Park, submitted by Omniplan, and Victory, submitted by Trademark Property Company.

The Dallas Farmers’ Market [Image: Courtesy ULI North Texas]

True Worth Place, a Fort Worth development dedicated to the homeless, won the Social Impact category newly created this year in response to the number of entries striving to improve the health and well-being of populations in need of special services. True Worth Place was designed by HKS and served almost 5,000 in 2017, its first year of operation. That figure represented almost every person who experienced homelessness in Tarrant County that year. The development stood out due to the quality of its materials, contemporary design, large open areas, and welcoming feel, according to a statement. A jurist said the development was “a rare place of dignity for those who have long been marginalized.”

True Worth Place [Image: Courtesy ULI North Texas]

Social Impact finalists included the Tolleson Family Center at Highland Park United Methodist Church designed by HH Architects and the Morris Foundation Women and Children’s Shelter in Fort Worth designed by Bennett Benner Partners.

Arlington City Center developed by Catalyst Development won the Influence Award, which recognizes developments that have a positive impact beyond their own borders. The Center’s new central library was a highlighted feature that jurists noted was “a vibrant place where residents can gather without having to spend money.” The project was also noted for being a development model that aging suburbs can replicate.

Arlington City Center [Image: Courtesy ULI North Texas]

Influence Award finalists included The District at the Star submitted by O’Brien Architects and The Evolution of Downtown Dallas, an impressive collection of downtown buildings renovated or newly designed by Jerry Merriman and others in his firm, all adding to the revitalization of the Dallas CBD.

After the awards, the Impact Awards concluded with “The Next Big Idea,” a grand finale live competition where applicants presented concepts on stage and the audience voted on the winning idea via cellphone texts.

SHOP for the City of Dallas Economic Development Department, an idea focused on neighborhood shopping center revitalizations including converting unused retail parking lots into parks, won in a close competition. The other finalists included Hive Skyport for drones and Uber-elevate passenger aircraft designed and submitted by Beck and an innovative cluster of low-cost housing units designed by Hanfield Hoffer Stanford of Fort Worth.

City of Dallas: SHOP Renovations [Image: Courtesy ULI North Texas]

The proceeds from the ULI Impact Awards fund educational and volunteer ULI North Texas programs such as UrbanPlan curriculum for area high schools and universities and “Building Industry Leaders” (BIL), career education and mentoring with the Boys and Girls Clubs. BIL recently expanded into Fort Worth and will soon extend to Houston.

The Urban Land Institute is a member-supported non-profit, education and research institute. The organization’s mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in building thriving communities worldwide. It has around 46,000 members globally, more than 1,400 of which are in North Texas.