As 2019 winds down, and we prepare for a whole new decade of catalyzing community investment, influencing policy, and developing the leaders of tomorrow, it’s time we reflect on everything TREC accomplished in the last year. We are grateful for the strides our organization made for the betterment of our industry and city, and it’s more than clear to us that we couldn’t have done it without the generosity and dedication of our members, member companies, and community partners.
Here is our look back at the 10 biggest TREC moments of 2019:
1. JPMorgan Chase awards TREC Community Fund $6 million for the creation of the Dallas Collaborative for Equitable Development
In October, TREC Community Fund received one of seven investments nationwide from JPMorgan Chase’s Partnerships for Raising Opportunity in Neighborhoods program. The $6 million total was the largest single investment ever received by the Community Fund. In partnership with the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) Education & Innovation HUB and LiftFund, the Dallas Collaborative for Equitable Development will develop affordable housing options and create jobs, workforce training programs, and community ownership and leadership opportunities in The Bottom, West Dallas-Census Tract 205, and Forest District neighborhoods.
2. The Dallas Stars Foundation announces $2 million investment in the Forest District During FightNight XXXI
As Dallas’ home hockey team prepares to take on the Nashville Predators in the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium, its Foundation is set to partner with St. Philip’s School & Community Center on its Legacy Project. Those in attendance at this year’s FightNight had the chance to see former Dallas goaltender and current Stars Foundation President Marty Turco and team mascot Victor E. Green announce the five-year commitment with St. Philip’s Perot Family Headmaster Dr. Terry Flowers before the bouts began. The Legacy Project will assist in building a new multi-sport athletic complex and fund after school and summer programming initiatives for St. Philip’s.
3. TREC Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary during Giving Gala
The Real Estate Council Foundation sure has come a long way since its inception in 1994 as the Community Development Assistance Corporation. Over the years, TREC Foundation has committed more than $13 million to over 150 nonprofits for neighborhood revitalization projects benefiting education, housing, job creation, and the environment throughout Dallas. During October’s Giving Gala, the Foundation recognized the contributions of TREC members throughout the last quarter century and looked ahead to the future of our community investment initiatives.
4. TREC Community Fund releases Community Driven Growth report on equitable development in Dallas
TREC Community Fund was awarded a $400,000 investment in October 2018 from JPMorgan’s PRO Neighborhoods initiative to help design a pilot program for igniting an equitable development plan for three Dallas neighborhoods considered most vulnerable to rapid transition. After a year of community engagement, research, and analysis, the Community Fund and its project partners released its findings in Community Driven Growth: A Roadmap for Dallas’ Equitable Development in December. We are committed to implementing this plan and fulfilling our mission of Building the City We Imagine.
5. Associate Leadership Council Class 2019 helps cut the ribbon on the We-Cycle Resource Center as part of the Dallas Catalyst Project
In conjunction with Cornerstone Baptist Church and the nonprofit Bike Friendly South Dallas, the ALC Class of 2019 helped construct a 2,650 square-foot bicycle repair shop and educational facility located at 1616 Al Lipscomb Way. The project received a $100,000 TREC Foundation grant, the largest for any ALC Foundation project. The facility will champion bicycles as an alternative means of transportation for Forest District residents of all ages.
6. Academics Christopher Leinberger and Dr. Tracy Loh debut urban walkability study during Bank of Texas Speaker Series
Growing demand for walkable urban developments – which integrate different types of real estate like office, retail, and residential – calls for matching infrastructure and public policy. Leinberger and Loh, of the George Washington University School of Business’s Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis, unveiled their study of how walkable Dallas currently is, the economic benefits of urban walkabkility, and how much further the region has to go in matching some of the more successful metropolitan areas around the country, during our first Bank of Texas Speaker Series event of the year in late January. You can revisit the full study here or check out the executive summary here.
7. Real Estate 101 for Nonprofits Program reaches 10-Year anniversary
For the last decade, TREC Foundation and Eliza Solender of Solender Hall have partnered to present the five-part Real Estate 101 for Nonprofits course to more than 250 organizations throughout Dallas. Course topics include project planning, being a savvy tenant, city-planning and zoning, design and construction for purchase and leasing, and finding the money. We are incredibly grateful to Eliza for her leadership and to the TREC members who have volunteered their time and expertise over the years to educate the community.
8. Young Guns Help Construct Cornerstone Community Laundromat as part of the Dallas Catalyst Project
One of the Dallas Catalyst Project’s biggest milestones in 2019 was the return of public laundry services to the Forest District neighborhood in September. Using funds raised during this year’s Casino Night, our Young Guns worked alongside Cornerstone Baptist Church, Balfour Beatty Construction, and Varidesk to construct the Cornerstone Community Laundromat and provide this much-needed service for residents.
9. Dallas Selected to host International Economic Development Conference
In March, Dallas was selected as the host city for the 2020 International Economic Development Conference. The conference will take place from October 11-14, 2020 at the Hilton Anatole and is expected to attract more than 1,500 economic development professionals from around the world to learn about Dallas’ success as a top destination for companies. In 2018, the DFW area led the nation in job growth, adding 116,400 new jobs and 246 people per day. TREC President Linda McMahon was selected to chair the host committee for the event.
10. PAC and Public Policy Committee lobbies Austin, hosts Mayoral Forum, and introduces programs to get members involved
TREC’s public policy committees sure was busy this year! In late February, we made our biennial trip to Austin and joined real estate councils throughout the state in lobbying our elected officials on the issues that matter most to the real estate industry. In March, we co-hosted a mayoral forum with other real estate organizations in Dallas for industry professionals to meet the candidates vying for the city’s top office. Meanwhile, we introduced TREC Think Tank, to identify and outline city-planning interests a half-century into the future, and two new educational events, Public Policy Roundtable and TREC Talks, so our members could more closely interact with top city and industry officials and get involved in the public policy creation process.