Sundance Square CEO optimistic about downtowns
June 10,2015
Johnny Campbell, president and CEO of Sundance Square in Fort Worth, speaks to the monthly meeting of the Alvarado Chamber of Commerce June 4. (Paul Gnadt)
Reposted from Alvarado Star
The man who orchestrates one of the most dynamic downtown development projects in the United States brought that same energy to the monthly meeting of the Alvarado Chamber of Commerce June 4 at the AISD Administration Building.
Johnny Campbell, president and CEO of Sundance Square in Fort Worth since 2001, told an audience of about 50 people that Sundance Square's 35 blocks has been recognized as one of the most exciting and successful downtown areas in America. Campbell is responsible for development, leasing, merchandising and property management of Sundance Square's portfolio of properties.
The baked potato meal with salad bar and fruit was catered by Chartwells Catering.
The Networking Table was sponsored by the Alvarado Public Library.
Sundance Square is filled with dozens of options for shopping, dining, and entertainment, Campbell said.
“The 42 buildings in Sundance Square – both modern and historic – total more than three million square feet of retail and office space,” he said. “Red-brick streets, charming courtyards, lush landscaping, and an expansive plaza add to the authenticity and excitement.”
“Without a doubt, Sundance Square is a place where the past and future intersect,” he continued.
Sundance Square began in 1979, when Bass Brothers Enterprises started buying land and buildings in downtown Fort Worth, which was experiencing severe urban decay.
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They renovated old buildings and constructed new ones, opened restaurants and nightclubs, and transformed downtown from a place to be avoided to a place to be entertained.
In homage to Fort Worth's past, they named the district after the Sundance Kid, who with his more famous partner, Butch Cassidy, often visited downtown Fort Worth for recreation.
Sundance Square succeeded where others failed through innovative urban planning: preserving the historical integrity of the buildings, making the area very friendly to pedestrians, and realizing that only a true, mixed-use development would create a downtown that would thrive and endure. Throughout the transformation, Sundance Square worked in close partnership with civic, government, and business leaders.
Sundance Square was selected as the production center for ESPN during NFL Super Week in 2011 and the NCAA Final Four in 2014.