Razzoo’s Helps Raise Money for Circle Ten Council
May 1, 2008
Several Dallas/Fort Worth restaurants raised $37,554 for the North Texas chapter (Circle Ten Council) of the nationwide “Learning for Life” program during two recent week-long fund drives. As a result, 1,390 local school children will be able to participate in the Learning for Life program.
Sponsored by Razzoo’s Cajun Cafes, this year’s annual drive raised $10,554 more than last year’s fund drive, enabling funding for an additional 390 children. An affiliate of Boy Scouts of America, Learning for Life provides schools with educational programs that go beyond academics to focus on character building, decision-making skills, and other life skills needed to handle the complexities of contemporary society.
Founded in 1991, privately held Razzoo’s Cajun Café (www.razzoos.com) owns and operates 11 Razzoo’s Cajun Café restaurants in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and Charlotte, North Carolina. Serving Gulf Coast/Cajun cuisine, Razzoo’s annual revenues exceed $32 million.
Razzoo’s will be opening its 12th restaurant this summer in southwest Dallas County in Cedar Hill, Texas.
Cedar Hill goes Uptown
March 24, 2008
Our good friend Loyd Brumfield over at NeighborsGo.com has a nice article about the grand opening of the Uptown Village at Cedar Hill:
“I always wondered what being a premier city meant,” he said. “It really starts with premier people, and what they were looking for was a premier project.”
Source: Cedar Hill Goes Uptown
Uptown Village at Cedar Hill Ribbon-Cutting
March 12, 2008
The big day is finally here! The day Uptown Village at Cedar Hill opens.
Here are a couple of links to stories on the web:
- Doors Open at Uptown Village, Neighbors-Go
- New Mall Means Economic Boost, More Options, MyFox Dallas
I also took a few pictures of the event. Enjoy.
Uptown Village Stores & Restaurants
February 4, 2008
The March 12 Grand Opening of the Uptown Village at Cedar Hill is just over a month away. It seems like almost every day people ask me what stores are slated to be included.
Well, here is the latest list:
Dillard’s, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Aveda Spa, Barnes & Noble, Bath & Body Works, Buckle, Candy World, Champs, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Finish Line, Foot Locker, Francesca’s Collections, Great American Cookie, Hollister, Icing, Italia Express, Lady Foot Locker, Maui Wowi, Select Comfort, Solstice, Victoria’s Secret, Ann Taylor Loft, Jos. A. Bank, La Madeleine, Razzoo’s, Ulta, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lane Bryant, Kay Jewelers, LensCrafters, GameStop.
Most stores will open on the first day. The others are confirmed and will open by the Summer or Fall of 2008.
Suggestions Abound for Red Bird Mall
January 29, 2008
The Dallas Morning News has an article about the struggling Red Bird Mall (now, Southwest Center Mall). The mall has been struggling since the early 1990s, when it developed a reputation for crime. It was foreclosed on in 2003 and purchased by Dallas-based developers in 2005.
At 1.3 million square feet, Southwest Center is half-empty. Macy’s, Burlington Coat Factory and Sears are the mall’s anchors, but J.C. Penney and Dillard’s have left in favor of newer outdoor developments in Cedar Hill.The mall could benefit from becoming a mixed-use development, said Frank Mihalopoulos, whose Corinth Properties has built retail centers in Cedar Hill and is redeveloping an older mall in Nashville, Tenn.”It needs a school or a government office, a data processing operation or a hospital facility, some kind of nontraditional use that will fill the space. It needs to be more than a mall.”Barry Pener, vice president of the Kansas City-based chain of 34 stores, said he heard about the new Cedar Hill shopping center a couple of months ago.”It will probably take some business from us, but we do OK,” he said. “That store is an average one for us. It does fine.”
Source: Dallas Morning News
Cedar Hill Medical Plaza To Open
January 28, 2008
A health fair which also will serve as the grand opening of Cedar Hill Medical Plaza will be Feb. 16. The facility is at the southwest corner of Belt Line Road and Waterford Oaks Drive. The event will be from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Cirrus Group recently completed the $4.3 million plaza, a 25,000-square-foot medical facility, which is affiliated with Methodist Health System.
Methodist Family Health Center will occupy 6,000 square feet in the plaza. Other tenants include Trinity Foot Center, Custom Eyes Vision Care, Dr. Linda A. Rodrigue(OB/GYN), Clinical Pathology Laboratories and Comfort Rehab.
Source: Dallas Business Journal
Uptown Village To Add To Cedar Hill’s Shopping Luster
January 26, 2008
By MARIA HALKIAS / The Dallas Morning News
mhalkias@dallasnews.com
The booming U.S. Highway 67 corridor in southern Dallas County is about to get its first upscale retail: Uptown Village at Cedar Hill.
Like new high-end shopping centers in Southlake, Highland Village and Garland, this will be an “outdoor lifestyle center.” It will open March 12 with stores such as Chico’s, Coldwater Creek and American Eagle Outfitters.
Meanwhile, seven miles up the road, the 1970s-era Southwest Center mall sits half-empty after years of neglect from retailers and shoppers.
Uptown Village has lured the Dillard’s department store from the mall and is hoping to do the same with Macy’s.
For many years, Southwest Center’s troubles left a stigma on the Dallas area’s southern sector as officials tried to attract retail development. But the developers of Uptown Village say their center will prove the doubters wrong once and for all.
When the 725,000-square-foot Uptown Village opens, the U.S. 67 and FM1382 intersection will have almost 3 million square feet of retail, or the equivalent of 1 ½ Dallas Gallerias. Read more
Cedar Hill’s Soon-To-Open Uptown Village Unveils List Of Soon-To-Open Shops
January 25, 2008
By Steve Snyder of Today Newspapers
With just 48 days left before the March 12 grand opening of Uptown Village, people with itchy credit cards can at least know the official list of opening day stores.
The MGHerring Group, the Dallas-based developer of Uptown Village, announced its upcoming stores and restaurants for the site Jan. 21.
Anchored by Dillard’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Barnes & Noble, the 725,000-square-foot Uptown Village is the first open-air, regional lifestyle center in the Best Southwest region, which includes Cedar Hill, Desoto, Duncanville and Lancaster. Read more
Family Christian Stores Coming Soon
January 25, 2008
Family Christian Stores leased 6,250 square feet at the southwest corner of U.S. Highway 67 and Pleasant Run Road in Cedar Hill. David Levinson of the Retail Connection negotiated the lease with Greg Bracchi of the Staubach Co.
Source: Dallas Morning News
Babe’s Chicken to lay claim to Cedar Hill City Hall
November 18, 2007
The Dallas Morning News as a new article on Babe’s Chicken coming to Cedar Hill.
As soon as city officials decided to move, they started considering potential replacement uses for City Hall. They wanted a tenant that would attract at least as many visitors as city business generated.
“Right now it’s one of the main traffic drivers for the historic downtown area,” said Patty Bushart, the city’s Main Street coordinator.
…
“It’s just good, clean entertainment; a wholesome, family atmosphere,” said Mr. Vinyard, who opened the first Babe’s with his wife, Mary Beth, 14 years ago in Roanoke.
…
Mr. Vinyard “has a way of doing business that is down-home and friendly, and that’s the way we like to think of our downtown area,” she said. “It’s the kind of small-town feel that we think is important and want to hold on to.
Source: Dallas Morning News
State Park Improvement Plan Goes To Voters
October 24, 2007
Next month, Texas voters will decide whether or not to amend the state’s constitution. A total of 16 propositions are on the ballot.
Proposition 4 is a $1 billion plan to improve and maintain state parks, such as Cedar Hill State Park. Located in Dallas County, the park would receive several million dollars if the proposition is approved by voters.
Phil Feinberg recently retired and bought a new RV. He said that Cedar Hill State Park desperately needs wastewater lines for its campsites. “To have to pull this thing out, especially with the difficulty I’ve had driving it, and to go to a dump station to dump it,” he said, “if we were going to have to stay here a week or two versus having a sewer connection right here, would just be a tremendous improvement.”
Source: CBS11tv.com
The Top 10 Reasons to “Vote No” to Save the Trinity
October 15, 2007
By voting NO to SAVE THE TRINITY, the vision approved in 1998 – including flood control, lakes, recreational areas, and transportation improvements – will become a reality. The money approved in the 1998 bond election will be combined with toll income and federal, state and private dollars to create a 10,000-acre park with lakes, trails, athletic fields and an equestrian center.
Here are the Top 10 reasons to VOTE NO against the Trinity Parkway referendum on November 6:
1. Vote NO so that the Trinity Project, as approved by the voters in 1998, can move forward and deliver flood protection, lakes, parks, recreational areas, and transportation improvements. Read more
Dillard’s Moving to Cedar Hill
October 8, 2007
CBS 11 has a story about Dillard closing its store in Southwest Center (Red Bird) Mall and moving to Cedar Hill. Needless to say, some of the other Southwest Center tenants are not pleased with the move:
Finis Melton, who owns a shoe store near Dillard’s, says the half empty mall is already hurting business.
“We want to add to it to make it grow,” said Melton, who owns J. Renee Shoes. “Every time somebody leaves, it makes our business harder.”
The store is moving to Cedar Hill, and some are concerned that the southern sector won’t be served during the holidays, a retailer’s most profitable season.
“That’s when shopping goes up, the market goes up. They make more of their profits during those holidays,” said Dallas City Councilman Tennell Atkins. “It’s a slap in the face to the community.”
Source: CBS11tv.com
Rise and Shine for Success
September 21, 2007
It was a “who’s who” of North Texas civic leaders, chamber of commerce members and other business owners representing at least eight cities [including Cedar Hill] from the surrounding area that attended Thursday morning’s Rise and Shine mayor’s breakfast at the Waxahachie Civic Center.
Three other mayors on hand also addressed the crowd: Joe Tillotson of Lancaster, Rob Franke of Cedar Hill and Boyce L. Whatley of Midlothian.
Read the entire article here.
Moody’s Upgrades
September 20, 2007
By BRIAN ALLEN / Today Staff
Taxpayers in Cedar Hill got some good news Sept. 12 as the city’s bond rating improved according to both Moody’s Investor Services as well as Standard & Poor’s.
Moody increased Cedar Hill’s rating from A1 to Aa3. Standard and Poor raised Cedar Hill’s General Obligation Debt Rating to AA- from A+.
“This is great news for our city and its residents,” Mayor Rob Franke said.
“Upgrades from both firms are a strong endorsement of the direction of our City Council and the fiscal management provided by our city staff.
City officials met with analysts from the two firms the week before the announcement.
According to Moody’s analysts the upgrade “reflects the city’s ongoing economic development, a favorable trend of tax base growth and diversification. Sound financial management has resulted in a history of favorable financial performance and a moderate debt burden.”
Those same analysts praised city staff’s success in attracting substantial retail and commercial businesses.
Since 1999, Cedar Hill added three million square feet of retail development. Those increasing commercial values help hold down the tax rate, benefiting homeowners.
Moody’s analysts also cited the strength of building permits in Lake Ridge development despite a national housing slump as a positive factor. They believe tax base expansions will continue in the long term thanks to several major commercial, retail and park developments.
Standard & Poor’s said its higher rating reflects the city’s strong assessed value growth, above-average income and wealth levels and participation in the diverse D/FW economy.
S&P’s analysts looked to the potential of the upscale 800,000-square foot Uptown Village lifestyle center in 2008, and the impact it should have on property tax rates.
“Management will maintain its strong financial position and reserves through continued healthy property and sales tax collections; and overall debt levels will not increase significantly as management continues to implement its well-conceived capital improvement plan,” the S&P report said.
It concludes “Standard & Poor’s deems Cedar Hill’s management practices “strong, well embedded and likely sustainable.”
The rating upgrade applies to roughly $11 million in general obligation debt the city is issuing, Financial Director Hardy Browder said the improved ratings will provide substantial interest savings over the 20-year life of the debt because the city will pay lower interest rates.
Those lower rates, he said, will provide additional savings each time the city issues more debt.
Source: Today Newspapers
Welcome!
My name is Wade Emmert and I am a Council Member for the City of Cedar Hill. This web site is a way for me to share with you some of my thoughts about issues important to the City.
It is my sincerest goal to be a good steward of the citizens’ trust. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to serve you.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at Wade.Emmert@cedarhilltx.com or (214) 740-3164.