Just say ‘no’ to the ‘no’ crowd on ballpark

Last Tuesday the opponents of the sales tax election to build a new Rangers ballpark gathered at Arlington City Hall to voice their opposition.

Their comments and behavior got me to thinking about the 25-year history of the section of Arlington bounded by Interstate 30, Texas 360, Abram Street and Collins Street.

As they spoke, I found myself wondering what kind of degraded mess that area of Arlington would be in right now if past mayors, council members and residents had followed the lead of the “no” crowd regarding the economic development opportunities of the past 25 years.

There would be no ballpark or AT&T Stadium, because the “no” crowd opposes sales tax elections for sporting venues.

I-30 would still not be updated and the Three Bridges project would not have been done. The I-30 and 360 interchange would be in the works, but not started.

The General Motors plant would be shuttered.

That is not a theory. That is a fact.

GM was closing their plant here in the early 1990s. The “no” crowd opposes tax abatements for large corporations, and they attacked Mayor Richard Greene back then for offering tax breaks to keep GM here.

Johnson Creek in that area would be a concrete ditch with no parks around it, and there would be no lake at the convention center.

There might not even be a convention center as it sits today.

The entire area would be similar to west Dallas, which is a hodgepodge of old dilapidated houses and rundown apartments mixed in with warehouses and light industry.

The “no” crowd opposed the landscape ordinance, tree ordinance, setback provisions and all the quality of life initiatives of the early 1990s, so the whole area would have been a zoning and construction mess.

And there would be no quality public schools or parks to serve the people living in that area, because the “no” crowd has opposed every park bond and school bond election Arlington has had for the past 25 years.

And with that part of our town in such rough shape, would the many hotels and restaurants in that area have been built?

Would Lincoln Square and Collins Street be making a comeback?

Would Don Davis and Moritz have built their new vehicle dealerships in the area?

Would the nearby Lamar Boulevard corridor be undergoing its current renewal? I doubt it!

What would have been left?

Six Flags theme park would be in a really rough part of town surrounded by urban decay.

Would the park owners have continued to make it their flagship park, or would they have drained it dry and moved up north of Dallas to the Frisco area?

This area could have become an albatross around the neck of our community.

But instead, it has become a cornerstone of Arlington’s economy, character and quality of life, because the “no” crowd was ignored by mayors, city councils and a majority of Arlington residents.

The City Council will meet again on Tuesday for a second and final vote on calling a Nov. 8 election on the new, retractable-roof, climate-controlled ballpark for the Rangers. Say ‘yes.’

This story was originally published August 8, 2016 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Just say ‘no’ to the ‘no’ crowd on ballpark."