Downtown Dallas might close tunnels, sky bridges

Plan calls for street activity

David Crossley, Aug 29, 11.

The Downtown Dallas 360 Plan, an initiative that was approved by the city in April, includes suggestions to phase out retail in the tunnel system and get more people shopping at the street level in order to make downtown Dallas more vibrant, according to a story in the Dallas Morning News. [Note: the website is only available to subscribers, but the complete story is available at Morningstar]

At lunchtime in downtown Dallas, there’s a parade of power suits, sundresses, ties and Polos. And despite the heat, no one is sweaty, red-faced or hot.

That’s because they’ve all retreated underground, into the city center’s sometimes overlooked system of tunnels.

“There’s air conditioning here, and you can get something and eat here without having to go in the heat,” said Kassie Taylor, who works in the 1700 Pacific building and was eating underground there for lunch. “If I decide to walk, I’ll walk in the tunnels.

“You don’t want to sweat and go back to work.”

The city’s tunnels and sky bridges were designed by Vincent Ponte in the 1960s as a cutting-edge plan to bring commerce downtown while shielding pedestrians from hot or otherwise inclement weather.

But now there’s talk about shutting the tunnels or at least making changes that could discourage their use. MORE

Photography by Desiree Espada